This Time Around
by Alcestis
Summary: What if Tamahome had never killed Nakago? A race against time and overwhelming odds brings the most unlikely of allies together...
1. Destiny Calls

**This Time Around**

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Watase Yuu. I'm just borrowing them for a while and will return them as soon as I finish torturing them.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Destiny Calls**

"KAIJIN!" The symbol of Suzaku, the protector god of the South, flared brilliantly into existence onto Miaka's forehead. Her eyes shone with the fierce light of determination.

She could not afford to lose. She made her second wish. The wish that would enable them to win this battle. _I will not lose!_ she vowed silently.

"Seal Seiryuu in this scroll!" she commanded the red phoenix god, flinging Chiriko's scroll into the sky.

Seiryuu, the dragon god of the East, vanished…as did the Kokoro symbol on Nakago's forehead.

The blonde shogun looked surprised for an instant as he felt Seiryuu's power fade from his body. He watched as Tamahome barrelled towards him, arm drawn back ready to punch right through his chest. The red character of "oni" blazed on Tamahome's forehead, and for some reason, Nakago found it oddly mesmerising.

_Well done, Suzaku no Miko…_ he thought almost sincerely. _Well done. _She had made the only wish that would end this battle once and for all.

Tamahome's fist sped towards him, but Nakago didn't move or make any attempt to block it. His fate was sealed, and it would all finally end here and now.

Nakago smiled.

* * *

Tamahome felt the change in his opponent's chi even as the blue character faded away into nothingness. Miaka had made a wish to seal Seiryuu, he realised, and Nakago was powerless.

_It would be so easy to kill the Seiryuu bastard now…the same way he killed Hotohori-sama. _An eye for an eye, a life for a life. Honour demanded it. Tamahome closed the distance between them rapidly, ready to exact revenge for the deaths of his friends and comrades…and for his family. _Nuriko, Hotohori-sama, Yuiren, Chuei…Everyone…this is for you…_

* * *

Nakago felt the rush of air and waited for the pain of the impact that was sure to follow.

It never came.

He opened his eyes and was met with the sight of Tamahome's fist poised an inch over his heart. The Suzaku seishi's arm was trembling from tension and exertion.

Neither man moved. They stood there, for what seemed like an eternity. Tamahome lifted his head to meet Nakago's eyes, the symbol on his forehead still glowing a fierce crimson. Then slowly, he lowered his fist to his side, even as his adversary's eyes became shards of blue arctic ice.

Tamahome tensed, when Nakago's hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and drawing him up until they were practically nose to nose.

"Why did you stop?" The outraged hiss was a far cry from Nakago's usual cool, confident taunts. He was angry…extremely angry. Once again he had been deprived of oblivion…once again, he'd been cheated out of the death which by all rights should have claimed his life years ago.

Tamahome stared at him for a moment, as though stunned, then wrenched himself out of the shogun's grasp. He glared at the erstwhile leader of the Seiryuu shichi seishi, his eyes narrowing.

"If I had done it, then I would be no better than you…A monster of the worst kind," Tamahome said slowly, "Besides, death is too good for an asshole like you." He grinned maliciously, feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction.

He hadn't been lying when he had said that Nakago didn't deserve the release that came with death. He had truly wanted to kill the other man, but something made him change his mind at the last second. He had seen an odd expression in Nakago's eyes the moment Miaka made her wish to seal Seiryuu…Had seen the strange, almost peaceful smile that had appeared for a split second across the blonde shogun's handsome face.

It was then that Tamahome had realised with stunning clarity that Nakago would not have tried to evade his most-likely fatal punch. The man had been prepared to die…had probably welcomed the possibility. _I wonder why…? _

_No. Letting him live will be a punishment worse than death. Besides, I don't need to deal with any more guilt, especially over the Seiryuu bastard. _He swept a coolly assessing glance over Nakago and felt his grin becoming impossibly wider. The blonde man had both his fists clenched and was almost visibly trembling with rage.

_How does it feel, Nakago? How does it feel to be on the losing end for once? To be weaker than another? _

His train of thought was interrupted by the simultaneous yells of "TAMAHOME!!" and "REKKA SHI--" which was abruptly cut off by the sound of Chichiri's staff making contact with a certain flame-haired bandit's head. The next instant he found his arms full of Miaka as she flung herself at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Tamahome," she gave him a watery smile, "I never stopped believing in you. That prevented me from being eaten by the sacred beast." She embraced him, as hard as she could. He held her close, savouring the feel of her. Up to about a few moments ago, he thought that he would never see her again…

The sound of Tasuki's cussing reminded them that they weren't alone. "What about Blondie?" Tasuki gave a bloodthirsty fanged grin as he eyed their enemy. He looked ready to fry Nakago with his tessen if the shogun so much as blinked.

He wasn't the only one. Hotohori and Nuriko were also looking at Nakago with glares that could only be described as murderous.

"Daaaaa…" Chichiri was about to say something to defuse the situation and calm everyone down. Unfortunately, whatever it was never made it out of his mouth.

The building beside them began to crumble, as its weakened supports, damaged from the earlier chi-blasts, gave out. The building's shadow loomed over them, blotting out the sun as it toppled sideways…There was nowhere to run and even Nuriko's superhuman strength would not be enough to hold up the sixty-four storey skyscraper.

Tamahome squeezed Miaka's hand, a silent understanding passing between them. Wordlessly, they agreed to do what they both knew was the right thing.

"KAIJIN! RESTORE THIS WORLD!"

There was a blinding red flash, and the next moment, everyone found themselves standing in the middle of an undamaged street. All around them were buildings in their pristine state, including the skyscraper that had nearly flattened them a heartbeat ago. There was no sign of a battle having ever taken place.

Tasuki was the first to break the silence, "Why the heck did ya do that for? You were gonna use that wish to be together with Tamahome!!" he yelled in righteous fury.

"Tasuki—" Miaka was cut off by the laughter which seem to erupt from everywhere at once. Before anyone had a chance to react, a black vortex formed directly under their feet, sending them all spiralling helplessly out of control into a whirlpool of oblivion.

* * *

Notes:

Yay! First chapter done! I decided to start this story in the middle of Tamahome's and Nakago's fight. Everything which has transpired before this point remains the same.


	2. The Universe of the 4 Gods

**Chapter 2: The Universe of the 4 Gods**

Tamahome groaned, and tried to open his eyes.

_Baaaaad move, _he realised belatedly as his retinas were seared with twin points of bright light, causing his head to throb in time with his heart. He felt as if he had just been kicked in the head by a vengeful water buffalo.

_Okay…so I'm still alive. It wouldn't hurt this much otherwise! _He reasoned. Gingerly, he cracked open his eyes again to get some clue as to where he was. Gradually, the overwhelming brightness subsided to a more tolerable level as his eyes adjusted to the light.

To his left –or was it to his right? He wasn't entirely sure…his head was still spinning –he saw a blonde man getting to his feet. To his other side…

_Waitaminute. BLONDE?? _Tamahome's eyes popped open fully and he leapt to his feet, ignoring the pain that exploded in his skull. He glared at Nakago, sure that the other man was somehow responsible for everything.

The former shogun of Kutou directed a single scathing glance at Tamahome and proceeded to dust himself off.

The Suzaku seishi was irate. They were standing in the middle of Suzaku-knew-where and Nakago had the nerve to ignore him! "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! WHERE ARE WE?" Tamahome demanded hotly, stomping his way over to the other man, ready to beat the answer out of the blonde.

Nakago tensed at Tamahome's approach, his hand going to the hilt of his sword.

_Still a chance…to finish what we started. _Silver blue eyes narrowed.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MIAKA?" Tamahome barely had time to complete the sentence before he was nearly skewered by the shining length of steel that was Nakago's sword as it snapped from its sheath. The only thing that saved him was his quick reflexes. He saw, even in the midst of his spontaneous backflip, that the point of the sword had pierced the air exactly where his chest had been.

The shogun regarded him with a cold, calculating look before attacking again.

_Damn! He's good! _Tamahome ducked under another graceful arc made by the sword, unable to mount any sort of offensive without the risk of losing a limb. He felt the displaced air ruffle his hair and was almost sure he'd just gotten a haircut, courtesy of Nakago.

Obviously, the Seiryuu seishi was an accomplished swordsman, in addition to everything else. His sword moves were swift, streamlined and confident, hinting at a skill level attained only through years of intense practice.

_Should've known the bastard didn't wear that sword just for show. Shoot! Things just got that much harder…He's almost as good as Hotohori-sama…_the revelation however, did not make Tamahome feel any better.

Nakago pivoted quickly, allowing the momentum created by his movement to carry the sword into position for another strike. He watched his opponent carefully, noting that Tamahome had dropped into a fighting stance. The character of demon appeared on the Suzaku seishi's forehead. _Good. He's serious now._

Tamahome realised that he needed to find a way to get close to Nakago and maybe knock him out. It was going to be difficult, especially since he was unarmed and Nakago seemed intent on slicing him thinner than rice paper.

The strike came faster than Tamahome expected. Even without his Seiryuu gifted powers, Nakago moved faster than anyone he had ever seen. The blonde shogun moved so quickly that he seemed to blur for an instant. Tamahome's reflexes took over, with sheer instinct overriding his mental functions. Without even thinking, he flung himself backwards.

The move saved his life.

He felt something warm trickling down his cheek and raised a hand up to his face to investigate.

His hand came away bloody.

His momentary preoccupation allowed his opponent to move behind him. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, warning him of imminent danger even as his senses screamed.

He whipped around, his body twisting uncomfortably…

…just in time to catch the descending sword blade between his palms, inches from his head. If he had been even a second later, it would have cleaved him in half.

Nakago's lips twisted into a thin, mirthless smile. Then, without warning, he kicked Tamahome in the gut.

Tamahome was sure that it was something Hotohori would never have done. Apparently, Nakago's style of swordfighting was not governed by the conventional rules of fair play. The man did whatever it took to win. _Why am I not surprised? _Tamahome thought as the air whooshed explosively out of his lungs. He let his body jerk back with the force of the blow, so that he would take as little damage as possible.

_ALL RIGHT!! THAT'S IT! No more mister nice guy! _Tamahome gritted his teeth. Something really hurt where Nakago had kicked him and he was positive that it used to be a vital organ. Maybe a kidney…perhaps an appendix. Whatever it was, the force of the kick had probably rearranged the positions of some of his insides…

He flung a ball of chi at the smirking blonde. Tamahome had been reluctant to use chi-blasts while fighting, because his opponent was a normal human with no powers. _Normal?? When was Nakago ever normal? Or human, for that matter? _However, desperate situations called for desperate measures. _So much for fair play…but he asked for it! _The chi-blast was not powerful enough to kill, just stun.

Unfortunately, Nakago's reflexes were just as fast as Tamahome's, and the shogun calmly side-stepped the blast.

However, it did give Tamahome a chance to summon another ball of chi. It hovered between his hands, glowing the same colour as the symbol on his forehead. It was the Suzaku seishi's turn to smirk.

Standoff.

"Give it up, Nakago," he called out confidently, "You can't defeat me and I won't kill you."

His adversary lifted one slender blonde eyebrow at Tamahome's words, "We'll see about that," he said coolly.

Before either man could move a muscle however, there was a bright flash of light and a puff of smoke, announcing the arrival of…

Tamahome didn't know whether to groan in anger or relief. Perhaps gagging at the revolting sight was a more appropriate response.

Looming in front of him was the ugliest face he had ever had the dubious pleasure of encountering.

Taiitsukun.

"ENOUGH! Both of you! You two weren't brought back here to kill each other!" the ancient old crone ordered. She was glaring at Tamahome, "And put that away!"

Tamahome glared back, but allowed the ball of chi to dissolve, "Bossy old hag…" he muttered under his breath.

Taiitsukun looked as if she was about to chew out Tamahome for that comment, but she was interrupted by a plaintive wail coming from the other side of the clearing.

"Tamahome….HEEEEEEEEEELP!!"

The man in question turned, just in time to see the branch supporting the source of the voice snap under her weight, sending her plummeting towards the ground.

Luckily for Miaka, she wasn't that far off the aforesaid ground.

Unluckily for her, she landed flat on her face.

"OWWWWWW!!" There was a dull thud as she ungracefully sprawled face-first in the dirt. Unlike Tamahome and Nakago, both of whom had been flung onto open ground when they had exited the vortex, Miaka had been deposited in a tree.

Tamahome rushed to her side, Nakago and Taiitsukun momentarily forgotten, "Miaka! Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, checking her for injuries. The love of his life moaned piteously, "Itaaaaiiii…"

She rolled over and looked up at Tamahome. Her eyes widened, "You're hurt!" she exclaimed, her hand lifting to gently trace the cut on his cheek. It had stopped bleeding, but it still throbbed painfully.

"It's just a scratch," he assured her, glad to see that she was unharmed.

Someone cleared her throat rather loudly, "Tamahome! Miaka!" The dreaded voice intruded in on them, "I need to talk to you…" Taiitsukun turned to the tall, blue-eyed man who had been standing silently behind her, "And that includes you, Nakago."

"Hmph. Why should I listen to you, old woman?" Nakago regarded her indifferently as he resheathed his sword. It was pointless for him to stay around. He would not get the death he desired from Tamahome now.

"What if I said Tenkou is involved?" Taiitsukun persisted.

Nakago froze for a split second before continuing his interrupted motion, "Then I would wish you good luck," he sneered, a cold and haughty expression on his face.

By this time, the two lovers had made their way over to Taiitsukun's side, "Who's Tenkou?" Miaka wanted to know. Tamahome watched the other man warily, relieved that Nakago had at least put away his weapon.

The ancient woman's expression darkened, "The vortex that swallowed you was the doing of an evil deity named Tenkou. He intended to send all of you to oblivion, but I managed to redirect the vortex to bring you here."

"Us?" Tamahome cried out indignantly, "Why us? And where are Tasuki, Chichiri and the others?" He was getting a really bad feeling about what the old hag was saying.

"They're safe, if that is what you want to know. Tasuki and Chichiri just got separated from you inside the vortex…they are now somewhere in Konan-koku. As for the others, they're merely spirits so Tenkou can't harm them," Taiitsukun said, becoming impatient, "The important thing is that Tenkou wants to control both this world and the mikos' world…and he must be stopped."

"Where have I heard THAT one before," Tamahome said sarcastically, looking over at Nakago.

Everyone ignored his snide comment.

"Tenkou has already accumulated a great amount of power. He plans to summon the gods to grant his wishes," the old witch continued, "This must not be allowed to happen at any cost," Her gaze moved to rest on Miaka.

"Miaka, you as Suzaku no Miko must make sure that Tenkou does not succeed…or all will be lost."

Miaka gaped at Taiitsukun, "Me?! But…but how?"

The entity who presided over the universe of the four gods sighed, suddenly looking older than someone who was already infinitely old, "Tenkou must be sealed by the gods. You must summon Suzaku again, Miaka."

Both Tamahome and Miaka opened their mouths to protest, but Taiitsukun silenced them with a wave of her hand. "In order to do so, you must find the shinzahos belonging to all the four gods, Suzaku, Seiryuu, Genbu and Byakko."

"The Shinzahos from Genbu and Byakko are buried under that building in Sairo!" Tamahome argued, "And no thanks to Blondie over there!" he pointed an accusing finger at Nakago.

"And even with my ring, we only have three shinzahos…we don't have anything from Seiryuu, do we?" Miaka asked dubiously.

Everyone turned, as if on cue, to look expectantly at the blonde man who had remained silent up to that point, not contributing to the conversation.

Nakago stared back at them, looking bored, "Have you all forgotten? Due to the Suzaku no Miko's brilliant second wish, I am no longer Seiryuu shichi seishi."

"No, you are not," Taiitsukun said suddenly, "but you are still one of the Hin. Seiryuu was sealed, but we might be able to use a magic amulet that belonged to the Hin tribe…combined with your earring in Tomo's Shin, it would be the equivalent to a shinzaho!" she sounded almost triumphant.

The blonde shogun gave a soft, short snort of wry amusement, "What makes you think that I would even agree to help you? Your little problem does not concern me." He turned, about to walk away.

"Isn't there any other way?" Miaka looked to Taiitsukun. The old woman shook her head grimly.

Tamahome clenched his fists, blood boiling with anger at Nakago's casual dismissal of their situation. In a heartbeat he had moved in front of the other man, blocking his way, "You can help us willingly, Nakago, or you can help us with several broken ribs." His voice was low and deadly as he threatened the blonde man with bodily harm.

Nakago's eyes narrowed dangerously, "I don't care what happens to this pathetic world, and I don't give a damn if it's destroyed. This world, and its gods allowed my happiness to be taken away…so why should I save it?" He brushed past the stunned Suzaku seishi, and left. Just like that.

Tamahome blinked, and his anger caught up with him again, "That bastard! How dare he leave! I'm really gonna HURT him!" He made to follow Nakago, but felt a tug on his arm, restraining him.

He looked down at Miaka, "But…!"

"Let him go, Tamahome. He's not willing to help us, and we can't force him," she said soberly, watching the departing figure of their erstwhile enemy, "We'll find another way…We have to try, no matter now small our chances are! We summoned Suzaku once…we can do it again! Where there is a will, there's a way, ne?" she finished optimistically.

Taiitsukun nodded, "There is still a chance for you to succeed. You cannot waste anymore time and must be on your way before Tenkou discovers you," The ancient witch's expression softened, "…and good luck." She pointed them in the direction of the country of Sairo, and watched them leave.

The old woman sighed, feeling as old as Time itself. Miaka had been right. No force in the universe of the four gods could make the former leader of the Seiryuu shichi seishi do anything he didn't want to do. "Damn. We could have really used his help," she muttered to no one in particular as she transported herself back to Mt. Taikyoku. It was taking all her power just to hold this world together. Miaka and Tamahome would have to complete this quest without her assistance. And fast.

She did not know how much longer she could continue fending off the threat, and for once, even the Nyan-Nyans knew better than to try to cheer her up.

* * *

Notes:

Nakago doesn't have his powers anymore, but that does not mean that he can't fight! And he's still dangerous! Tamahome and Nakago...testosterone overload! Oh dear...it's never a good idea to put two alpha males together... : : Alcestis grins wickedly: :


	3. Ayuru

**Chapter 3: Ayuru**

Nakago walked away from them, not caring about the angry glares that bored into the back of his head. He did not really have any idea where he was, but he guessed that he was somewhere east of Sairo.

After several hours, he came to another clearing. It was already getting dark and he decided to stop for the night. It would also give him time to decide what to do next.

He built a small fire, using some of the dry twigs he found on the ground and the pieces of flint he'd picked up a little way back. The wood crackled as it caught fire and he stared absently into the flames, thinking.

He had actually accomplished what he had originally set out to do…that vow he had made, all those years ago: He had taken revenge on the emperor who had caused his misery. What else did he have left to do, except wait for death?

And then, there was Tenkou. He had not heard that particular name for a very long time. It brought back memories that he would rather forget. The Hin had worshipped Tenkou, and the deity had allowed them to die. _Betrayed by not one god, but by two…_ Seiryuu and Tenkou. They could both destroy this world and everything in it, as well as the next world, for all he cared. He was tired. Tired of being bitter, of being angry…tired of everything.

"Is that what 'Kaasan would have wanted?" a voice asked, out of the darkness.

The next instant, Nakago was on his feet, with the sword drawn. He pointed it into the darkness, in the direction where the voice had come from.

"Who are you? Show yourself."

"You know me, Nakago," a boy, no more than eleven years old, stepped into the circle of light cast by the fire, "You've known me for a very long time." The flickering light reflected off the boy's golden hair and sky blue eyes.

Nakago stared at the boy…and slowly lowered his sword. The boy smiled. "I knew you would remember."

"How…why are you here?" He wondered if he had gone stark, raving mad. That would mean that he was currently talking to a hallucination, where in fact there was no one there at all. If that was the case, perhaps he could find an imaginary cliff to throw himself off of…

"You have to help the Suzaku no Miko. They can't do this without you." the apparition answered.

Nakago said nothing for a long moment, he did not have to.

"What happened to all those dreams? Those dreams of being the hero, of saving the day and doing great things so people can be happy?" the boy asked, almost desperately. "You used to have them…"

"Things changed…those dreams died when 'kaasan did," he said emotionlessly. He had learnt to lock away his feelings years ago. Perhaps he had succeeded in doing so a little too well, because there was no pain accompanying the statement…no sense of loss. Just…nothing.

The boy looked at him sadly, large eyes as blue as the summer sky, "No…They didn't die…You just chose to play a different part. You chose to be the bad guy."

"I did what I had to do to survive, to take revenge."

"Revenge?" The boy said the word as if it was foreign to him, "What about the Suzaku no Miko and her seishi? You knew what you were doing to them was wrong! You knew! Every step of the way!" he accused.

"I had no choice. It was my duty as a Seiryuu shichi seishi to stop them." Nakago asserted flatly, although he did not refute the accusation. He had known, at the time…he'd just chosen to ignore what was left of his battered conscience.

"There is always a choice!" the boy glared at him angrily, "You could have been friends."

Nakago laughed, a harsh and bitter sound, "Friends? I don't need friends. I don't need –"

"–anyone?" the boy finished for him. "So much hate…" he whispered, tears glittering in his blue eyes, "When did I become you? Tell me! When? If growing up means turning into you, then…then I don't ever want to grow up!" The tears trickled down his face, "I don't want to be you…"

His older counterpart closed his eyes, as if in pain. _I'm…sorry._

They stood there, facing each other across the clearing, separated by the distance of time and space. An innocent little boy, and the cold, hard and cynical man he would became.

One cried, tears of sorrow for innocence lost. He cried for both of them.

The other stood in silence, unable to do the same because he'd forgotten how…

The boy wiped at his tears. Neither of them had moved for a long time.

"It isn't too late," he said softly. He took a step closer, even as he began to fade away.

"Not too late?" his older self repeated, not quite sure what the boy meant.

The boy smiled guilelessly. It was a smile of someone untainted by hate or pain or thoughts of revenge. It was heartbreaking in its simplicity.

A smile of a child…

"To fulfill a dream…to really make a difference."


	4. A Road Less Travelled

**Chapter 4: A Road Less Travelled**

"Damned. Seiryuu. Bastard."

Each word was punctuated with a vicious punch. The unfortunate object at the receiving end of Tamahome's wrath was a tree. It shuddered with every blow which landed on its already damaged trunk. Despite everything, it was a large, sturdy tree and seemed to be holding up rather well to the abuse inflicted upon it.

Miaka stared at her beloved in morbid fascination…from about fifty feet away. Tamahome was like a walking bomb with a very short fuse, ready to go off any second. The night had passed peacefully enough, with Tamahome quietly simmering in fury at Nakago, and it was now a new day. She breathed in the cool morning air, feeling surprisingly good considering what she had recently been through.

Neither the fresh air, nor the gratuitous violence however, was doing anything to improve Tamahome's mood. He cussed the blonde Seiryuu ex-seishi with every swear word he knew and a few others which he didn't, most of which had been learned from Tasuki. He also took unholy glee in imagining Nakago in the tree's place.

"Don't you know it's rude to talk about other people behind their backs?"

"Aaaaaaaiiiiiiiieeeeeee!!" Tamahome yelped mid-punch. The tree just spoke to him! "DEMON TREE!!" he yelled as he leapt away from the tree at close to light-speed, not stopping to think just why the voice sounded so naggingly familiar.

Tamahome soon realised that he had not —contrary to his belief— found a previously undiscovered species of communicative flora indigenous to the region, as Nakago stepped out from the undergrowth behind the tree. There was an all-too-familiar smirk on his face…It had been worth it, seeing Tamahome's reaction and hearing the Suzaku seishi scream like a girl.

"YOU!!" Tamahome spluttered, anger and embarrassment jockeying for dominance. "What the hell are you doing here??"

Nakago looked at the red faced seishi in front of him coolly, "That's hardly any way to greet someone whose help you need, Tamahome."

Miaka watched him warily. She had moved to stand beside Tamahome when Nakago had appeared. "You're going to help us? Why?" she asked suspiciously, with a great deal of incredulity.

The blonde man gave a minuscule shrug, the gesture seeming to mean everything and absolutely nothing at the same time, "I changed my mind…besides, it would be entertaining to watch you two bakas fumble your way through this insane little quest."

"You…you…" Tamahome was incensed. So angry in fact, that he was unable to form a coherent thought, except bashing the insufferably smug man in front of him into a bloody pulp and leaving the mummified body for archaeologists to stumble over in 400 years' time. The aforementioned archaeologists would then puzzle over the unusual appearance of the body and declare there had indeed been a race of blonde haired, blue-eyed people with Caucasian features who had lived in ancient China.

Nakago glanced at them with a look of supreme boredom, leaning against the trunk of the recently assaulted tree, as Miaka restrained a struggling Tamahome. "It's SO nice of you to join us," she glared at the man who had, up to a day ago, been trying to kill her. Her voice fairly dripped with sarcasm, "Now that we've been graced with your wonderful presence, maybe it's time we got a move on?"

Nakago did not seem to notice the obvious venom in her words, "But of course, Suzaku no Miko," he walked calmly past them, ignoring the death glares from Tamahome, "And you should try to keep that pet of yours under better control."

* * *

"We're lost!" Tamahome reluctantly announced. They had been walking for hours, and he didn't have the foggiest idea where they were, except the fact that they were in a forest where everything looked the same.

His conclusion drew a wail of despair from the girl beside him. "I'm so tired! We've been walking for AGES!!" she complained as she flopped down onto the grass like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Tamahome sighed, "I know…it feels like we've been walking in circles." He sat down beside Miaka. "By the way…where's Nakago?" He peered around, looking for his missing arch-nemesis.

"Actually, ahou, you have," came a mocking voice from directly above them, "In fact, this is the sixth time you've passed here."

Miaka and Tamahome craned their necks to squint upwards, and were met with the sight of Nakago lounging on a branch in the tree they were under. He looked as cool and relaxed as ever, as though he had not been walking through an endless forest for the last half a day…

"You! Where were you?" Tamahome was standing now, glaring at the blonde shogun suspiciously. _Come to_ _think of it, he disappeared a while back…_

"What? During your last four detours? I was right here," Nakago smirked down at the two exhausted people under the tree. He knew the reaction he would get with this statement, and waited for the impending eruption. Besides, it amused him to push Tamahome's and the Suzaku no Miko's buttons.

Tamahome's violet eyes narrowed dangerously as he pieced together all the evidence. He felt his anger building. His blood pressure rose at a rate that would surely have distressed Mitsukake.

"YOU KNEW!! YOU COULD HAVE HAD THE DECENCY TO SAY SOMETHING!!" he bellowed at a volume that shook the branches of the nearby trees, startling the birds roosting in them and generally scaring the wildlife within a one-and-a-half mile radius. _The bastard was watching us walk in circles! When I get my hands on him…_

"And deprived myself of the joy of watching you fools walking a circles? I think not."

_I'm gonna KILL that son-of-a-…_Tamahome let out an inarticulate howl of rage.

Miaka glared angrily at Nakago. She was, by nature, a peaceful person. Most of the time at least. However, at the moment, she wished that Nakago would fall out of the tree and break his neck. _Is that too much to hope for? _Miaka wondered. _Maybe I'll just settle for him being mauled by a tiger…_

She turned to a furious Tamahome, "Next time, we follow the Walking Icicle," she said in an unnecessarily loud voice.

_Ah, and so the name-calling begins. So be it. _He lifted an eyebrow, "How do you know that I won't mislead you…" Nakago paused, bringing the full weight of his gaze to bear on her, "Odango Atama?" he finished with a frosty smile. He had always wondered what would happen if anyone ever called her that. It looked like he was about to find out.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT, YOU JERK!" Miaka screeched at the top of her lungs. The sound was somewhere in the upper decibel range, and somewhere far, far away, a troop of monkeys replied in kind, looking for their lost comrade.

"You should have thought of that before you go around calling other people names," he said coolly, unaffected by the ear drum shattering sound issuing from the small girl under the tree. He had to admit, the Suzaku no Miko really had an amazing pair of lungs. He jumped down from his perch, landing gracefully on his feet like a cat.

Tamahome looked perplexed, his anger at Nakago temporarily sidelined as Miaka's voice threatened to render him deaf. "Odango Atama? As in Meatball Hea—"

"TAMAHOME," she thundered, "SHUT UP!"

She directed her entire plethora of killer glares at the infuriating blonde Seiryuu ex-seishi. If looks could kill, Nakago would have instantly de-evolved into a sticky puddle of questionable goo on the forest floor.

She now knew exactly how her favourite anime character felt when a certain annoying, insufferable guy called her 'Odango Atama'.

Funny how she used to think it amusing whenever it happened in the cartoon.

Unfortunately, she failed to see the humour in it now.

She reached up and ripped the ribbons out of her hair, releasing the twin buns. There. No more odangos.

Facing Nakago with a dangerous look in her eyes, she silently dared him to make another comment about her hair. _Go on, Jerk. Make my day…_Miaka prided herself for never truly hating anyone in her life. Disliked, maybe, but never hate…Currently however, she HATED Nakago with a passion.

He returned her look with a bored stare of indifference that seemed to mock her anyway.

* * *

Notes:

1) For all those of you who were wondering, yes, I have been watching The Emperor's New Groove. That's where the "Demon tree!!" exclamation from Tamahome came from...(it was originally "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!! DEMON LLAMA!DEMON LLAMA!!")

2) "Odango Atama" translates roughly as Meatball Head or more precisely, dumpling head. The term does not belong to me...I stole it from Sailor Moon.


	5. First Night Together

**Chapter 5: First Night Together**

The rest of the day passed in relative silence, as they trekked onwards towards Sairo through the forest. Miaka and Tamahome had resolved to keep a sharp eye on their almost-but-not-quite-ally, so they walked behind him. Actually, they still weren't sure if they could trust him. They wondered what his motives were. If what they knew about Nakago was accurate, the blonde shogun never did anything without a motive behind it…and he probably had dozens of motives _behind _his ulterior motive. It was enough to make anyone nervous.

_You never know when you're going to wake up one morning with a dagger sticking out of your back…_Tamahome thought darkly, his eyes focused intently on the vulnerable place between Nakago's shoulder blades. If he sensed the suspicion and general enmity both Tamahome and Miaka had towards him (which Tamahome was sure that the blonde man did), Nakago did not show it.

It was almost dusk when they stopped for the night. For once, Tamahome found no cause to argue with his arch enemy. Trekking during the night was dangerous, because many large predators prowled about under the cover of darkness. Becoming a meal for a tiger or a pack of wolves did not rank very high on Tamahome's list of things to do.

Besides, they had spent the whole day travelling, and Miaka looked dead on her feet. She had not complained or asked for a rest. Not even once. She did not want to give Nakago any additional excuse to insult her, Tamahome realised, feeling a surge of pride. She looked ghastly pale with fatigue, her eyes dull and shadowed with exhaustion. _She's probably been operating on sheer willpower for the last few hours, _Tamahome thought, as he knelt down beside her.

"Miaka…daijoubu?" he asked softly, concern etched on his face.

"Hai…I'm just tired, Tamahome…" she cracked a small smile to show him that she was all right, "You worry too much."

"There is no such thing as worrying too much when HE is around," Tamahome cast a wary glare at the person seated across the fire from them. It did not help matters that Nakago was currently polishing his sword with a level of concentration that was extremely unsettling…

A soft snore answered him. He looked back to Miaka, and found that she had fallen asleep leaning against him. He sighed, and gently shifted her so that her head was cradled in the crook of his shoulder. He smiled tenderly down at her peaceful face and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Unbeknownst to Tamahome, his gesture had not gone by unnoticed.

_Soi…_

An image of her appeared in Nakago's mind unbidden, along with a small pang of regret. The emotion however, was swiftly and ruthlessly repressed. He studied Tamahome's actions with the Suzaku no Miko. It was blatantly obvious to anyone with eyes that the two were in love. Soi and himself…they had been physically intimate many times, yet that could not compare to the intimacy he was confronted with now.

The Suzaku no Miko and Tamahome…they were intimate in all the ways that really counted. They were united in their hearts, seeming to share a single soul. He was hers, and she was his. It was as simple as that.

Nakago had been aware of Soi's feelings towards him, but he had always pushed her away. He'd allowed her to have his body, used her for his own gain even, but he had never let her near enough to truly touch his soul…She was perhaps the only person who had come close to understanding him. However, it didn't matter now anyway. None of it mattered anymore. Soi was gone, like all the others he'd lov—….like all the others he'd cared about.

The former Seiryuu seishi gave himself a mental shake, banishing all thoughts of Soi from his mind. He examined his now gleaming sword with exaggerated feigned interest before sliding it home into its sheath in one smooth practised movement. It was all a show for Tamahome's benefit, of course. He knew his preoccupation with the sword was making the other man nervous… Nakago could feel the Suzaku seishi's wary gaze on him and it gave him a strange sense of satisfaction to know that Tamahome was unnerved by him. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he nearly smirked outright.

He looked across the fire and met Tamahome's suspicious gaze squarely, throwing the dark haired man a mocking look before settling back against the tree behind him and closing his eyes.

Tamahome gaped in disbelief. _Nakago is going to SLEEP?? That's not fair!! The blonde bastard can go to sleep like there's nothing wrong because he knows that we won't try to kill him in his sleep, but I can't afford to close my eyes because I don't trust him! KUSO!! _He glared across at the relaxed figure, and had the vicious urge to stomp over and kick him awake. Unfortunately, if he moved, he would awaken Miaka as well and she needed all the rest she could get. Tamahome sighed inwardly in defeat, looking down at Miaka once more. It was going to be a very long night…


	6. The Morning After

**Chapter 6: The Morning After**

The next morning saw Tamahome irritable and cranky from the lack of sleep. He had remained awake throughout the night, and by the gods, it showed. His eyes were bloodshot and there were large dark circles under them.

Miaka seemed to have recovered from her exhaustion and was back to her usual cheerful self. Of course she had slept well…she'd used him as a pillow! Tamahome felt compelled to snap at her genki-ness, especially over her 'you-look-as-if-you-died-last-night-and-didn't-know-about-it' comment, but convinced himself that it wasn't her fault that he was so tired. He waited until she left to bathe at a nearby river before he sighed, massaging his temples. He was starting to feel a fatigue-induced headache the size of Tasuki's swear word vocabulary coming on.

And Nakago…Nakago looked like someone who'd just gotten a good night's sleep.

As usual, the shogun looked immaculate with not a single strand of blonde hair out of place. Tamahome felt the ever present resentment simmering in the pit of his stomach. He imagined that next to Nakago, he looked like a mess, with his unruly hair, rumpled clothes and bleary eyes.

A faint metallic sound brought his attention back to the present as he glanced sharply at Nakago, who seemed to be in the process of taking off his armour. _What the devil—?!_

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to the river to clean up," Nakago said in a rather patronising tone of voice, as though he was talking to an exceptionally stupid three year old, "unlike _some_ people, I prefer to look after my personal hygiene."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean??" Tamahome glared at his nemesis.

Nakago ignored him, heading towards the river wearing only a loose white shirt and pants, while Tamahome stood fuming, and once again entertained thoughts of beating the living daylights out of the smug blonde.

Suddenly, it hit him. Nakago was going to the river…

Miaka was bathing at the river.

Tamahome scrambled after the departing figure, overtook him and blocked his way. "You can't go there!" the dark haired Suzaku seishi spluttered.

"And why not?" Nakago's voice was dangerously calm. Actually, he knew why not, he just wanted to hear Tamahome say it.

"You…I mean…Miaka's there! She's bathing! And I won't let you or your evil intentions anywhere near her!" Tamahome declared with righteous indignation.

Nakago appeared to give Tamahome's words a moment's consideration, before suddenly leaning in close, until their faces were inches apart. The move startled Tamahome, but stubborn pride refused to let him back down.

"What makes you think that my 'evil intentions', as you so gallantly put it, are directed at the Suzaku no Miko?" Nakago's voice had taken on a low, seductive tone. Like dark, luxurious velvet. His lips curved into a slow, sensual smile, "I enjoyed our last encounter…didn't you?"

Tamahome's eyes widened in horror as he realised exactly what Nakago was hinting at. He rapidly backpedalled, his pride be damned. His face turned beet red, then white and finally a peculiar shade of green.

The former shogun of Kutou watched the display in amusement. In truth, he wasn't sure he had ever seen anyone change so many colours quite so fast…

"HENTAI!!"

Miaka chose that moment to return from the river. She looked at the two men in confusion. Her gaze going from Nakago's now impassive expression to Tamahome's sickly complexion. _Hmmmm…no blood on the ground, no signs of fighting…_ she was glad that they had managed not to kill each other in her absence.

"What happened?" she asked, peering at Tamahome's pale green face in concern. Tamahome looked as if he was about to throw up…and it was not going to be a pretty sight.

Nakago calmly strolled past the two of them, continuing on his way to the river, "I have no idea. Maybe you should ask Tamahome…he looked sick all of a sudden."

* * *

The mid-day heat was oppressive. The landscape had changed the further they travelled; the dense forest giving way to towering mountains and steep cliffs. They were making their way through the mountains via a winding path, going through narrow passes and past deep gouges.

The terrain was rough and this entailed them often having to climb over or having to go around obstacles. It was hard work and Miaka was hot, sweaty and tired. She thought longingly of the river she had bathed in that morning. Once again, she and Tamahome were walking behind Nakago. The blonde didn't seem to have any problems with the physical exertion, hauling himself up and over whatever obstacle which happened to stand in their way with an ease that left her envious. She, on the other hand, had to depend on Tamahome to help her.

_I swear that man is not human! _She wondered how he managed it, wearing all that armour. Nakago looked as if he had yet to break a sweat. _Maybe he has an air-conditioner inside there…_

She felt Tamahome's hand on her shoulder, conveying silent assurance and encouragement. She smiled up at him, _Tamahome…you've always been there for me. Aishiteru, anata. _They were husband and wife, yet they had not had a chance to consummate their marriage. Miaka felt a blush creeping up her cheeks at the thought and was thankful that her face was already red because of the heat and all the climbing she had been doing. If Tamahome questioned her about what she was thinking about, she would die of embarrassment. Worse still, if Nakago overheard them…

She found herself wondering inanely about Nakago. _He probably had gorgeous women throwing themselves at his feet. Maybe that lightning woman with red hair… Soi? He must be really experienced…OH MY GOD!! Miaka Yuuki, you are a sick, sick person! You're deep in the mountains, walking next to Tamahome and you're wondering about Nakago's sex life?! URGH! _She could feel her face turning as red as an overripe tomato.

Tamahome glanced at Miaka worriedly. Was it his imagination or had her face turned more red than it had been a minute ago? "Miaka, is something wrong?" He put his hand to her forehead, wondering if she was going to fall ill.

She almost choked at the enquiry, "I'm gasp all right…just gasp a little out of gasp breath." She giggled nervously, batting his hand away and giving him her widest, most innocent smile. "Really!"

"I don't know…" Tamahome said doubtfully.

"Must be the heat…I'm so hot that I'm sweating like a pig!" she supplied blithely, fanning herself with her hand, the smile still pasted on her face. Not exactly a lie, but not the whole truth either.

Tamahome seemed to accept her explanation. He shaded his eyes, squinting up into the sky, "It should get cooler soon, as evening approaches," he told her, "Hang on a little while longer, okay?"

Miaka nodded, heaving an inward sigh of relief. _Whew! That was close! _Tamahome would have gone ballistic if he had known what she had been thinking about. Now all she had to do was to practice looking at Nakago without turning red…

She tried to think of anything other the disturbing thoughts concerning Nakago. "I wonder how Chichiri and Tasuki are doing?" she said aloud.

"I'd be surprised if Fang Boy wasn't drinking himself into a stupor and swearing at everyone who crosses his path," Tamahome replied with a grin.

* * *

"…you, Baka! Put that over in the corner…AH-CHOO!" Tasuki sneezed violently. He and the rest of the bandits from Mt. Reikaku were helping to rebuild the damage to Konan caused by Kutou's army. Kouji and his men were doing a great deal to help the townsfolk recover from the calamity that had befallen Konan, and Tasuki was proud of the bandits. Everyone now thought of the bandits as heroes…

Tasuki glanced at the majestic spires of Konan palace a short distance away. Buildings could be repaired and homes rebuilt, but there were some things that could not be fixed so easily. The orange haired bandit clenched his fist. So many lives lost. So many lives destroyed.

_Someone's friend, someone's husband…someone's father. _Hotohori's death had hit him harder than he expected. Tasuki had respected the man, as an emperor, as a fellow Suzaku seishi, and as a friend. He thought of Houki, the empress, and of her unborn child…the heir to the throne and Hotohori's son. He hoped that she was all right; he could tell that she loved Hotohori deeply and the emperor's death had devastated her. Perhaps he empathised so much with her because of her uncanny resemblance to Nuriko? Even now, Chichiri was at the palace helping out.

_All this because of a power hungry maniac, _the bandit gritted his teeth. He could not think of any reason why Tamahome had let Nakago off. In Tasuki's opinion, the blonde shogun deserved to be tied up naked and have his skin peeled off in little strips and splashed with salt water. LOTS of salt water…and maybe once in a while, have his liver poked with a sharp stick.

Taiitsukun had appeared in front of Chichiri and Tasuki after they had been unceremoniously spit out of the vortex. She had informed them that Miaka and Tamahome were together and no harm had come to them. The information that Nakago was also with them had been a shock to the bandit, and he'd jumped up, prepared to head off towards parts unknown to try to even the score.

Taiitsukun, it seemed, had other ideas. She had whacked Tasuki on the head with his own tessen, and told him and Chichiri on no uncertain terms that they had to stay and help out in Konan. She explained that Miaka and Tamahome had to find the shinzahos and they could not afford to attract Tenkou's attention by having a large group of people with them.

_As long as Obake-chan is there to protect Miaka. Things will be fine…_Tasuki told himself. Revenge could wait, he decided, until this whole business with Tenkou was over. Until then, he could dream up new and creative torture techniques to use on a certain blonde, blue-eyed person.

He looked back to where the rest of the bandits were repairing the roof of a house and cheerfully swore at the next person who passed him.

* * *

Notes:

1) Intellectual rights to the phrase "you look as if you died last night and didn't know about it" belong to my friend David. Believe me, I see lots of people who look like that haunting my school campus, especially just before a major exam!

2) I'm sure all of us remember the infamous 'Nakago-smooching-Tamahome' scene! Nakago hints about it to Tamahome to freak Tama out... I figure it's a good a way as any to get someone out of your way! : :evil grin: :


	7. One Step Forward

**Chapter 7: One Step Forward**

Tamahome had been right. The air turned noticeably cooler as evening set in. For that, Miaka was thankful. They had been casting around for a suitable place to make camp. It did not help, that the third person in their party did not seem inclined to speak to them.

_Maybe that's a good thing_, Miaka reflected. She wasn't sure if she was up to making small talk with the man responsible for turning her best friend against her and killing her seishi. Her eyes darkened at the thought. She missed all of them terribly, especially Nuriko.

Miaka shook her head, trying to fend off the depression that had suddenly come over her. Her thoughts were interrupted by Tamahome handing her a stick of barbecued something which had been cooking over the fire. She decided not to ask what it was and just eat it. She hoped that whatever it was did not have more than four legs.

Exhaustion set in, not long after she had eaten, dulling her senses and numbing her brain. The ground was hard, but she was too tired to care. Yawning widely, she fell asleep within minutes.

Tamahome smiled gently at the sight of her lying in repose, her hair spread carelessly across her face. Her breath stirred the russet strands as she snored softly. He himself felt bone weary, and his eyes felt as if they were lined with sand. But he couldn't allow himself to sleep. He had to guard Miaka, especially with someone as untrustworthy as Nakago around.

"I'm not going to stab you in your sleep if that's what you're worried about," Tamahome jumped at the sound of Nakago's voice, which under the circumstances was perfectly understandable, since the other man had not said a word since that morning.

The Suzaku seishi must have looked sceptical, because Nakago stated flatly, "I'm a soldier and even I have my honour. Despite your inclination to believe otherwise, I don't kill people in their sleep."

"Well pardon me if I have difficulty trusting you!" Tamahome retorted, "You killed my friends! If I hadn't come looking for Miaka that time, you would have…" he could not bring himself to utter the words.

"I could have," Nakago corrected impassively, "but I didn't. She was with me a full half hour before you arrived."

Tamahome paled.

It had never occurred to him that Nakago could have passed up the chance to ensure certain victory for Seiryuu and himself.

Suddenly, Tamahome became exceedingly uncomfortable. He felt as though he should say something, but couldn't frame the words. The silence became oppressive, almost stifling. He could feel the piercing silver-blue eyes on him, unnerving in their intensity. Moreover, Nakago seemed to have developed the nasty habit of not blinking for extraordinary lengths of time. It was extremely disconcerting.

He was confused, to say the least. If what Nakago had told him was true, then it threw the question about whether to trust the man into a tailspin. _Why is he even here with us? He made it perfectly clear that he hates this world. _He looked up, only to see that Nakago had completely ignored him. The shogun was sitting with his eyes closed, his back against a tree.

_Should I trust him? _Nakago didn't look like he was lying about what happened with Miaka…and the fact that she had been able to summon Suzaku proved that she was still a virgin. Nakago twisted the truth to manipulate people, but bare-faced lies just did not seem like his style. That much, even Tamahome had to admit. He frowned speculatively. He knew that he was missing something important about the blonde man, but at the moment he couldn't figure out what.

He glanced at down at Miaka beside him, feeling the insistent pull of sleep. Finally, he slowly came to a decision. He allowed his eyelids to slide shut. Something Nakago had said, in particular, remained at the edge of his consciousness.

_- -I'm a soldier and even I have my honour_.- -

He hoped he was right, because if he wasn't…he would not even be alive to regret it.

* * *

Tamahome slowly came awake to the silence of the dawn occasionally shattered by the sound of the screech of a monkey in the distance. Beside him, Miaka snuggled closer for warmth.

_So Nakago didn't try to kill us after all? _He sat straight up, his eyes going immediately to the place Nakago had occupied the previous night.

It was empty.

It took him a moment to fully realise the implications of the situation. Nakago could have easily killed both him and Miaka while they were asleep if he had so chosen. _So the man does follow some code of honour, twisted as it may be…_He surveyed the area. Nakago was nowhere in sight.

Tamahome got to his feet carefully so as not to disturb Miaka. He thought he heard the faint sound of footfalls and someone breathing hard. Stealthily, he made his approach through a clump of bushes.

They were on a plateau, and Nakago was apparently working out. His armour lay on the ground as the blonde shogun swung the sword in clean arcs, alternating with various feints and parries. The first rays of dawn glinted off the sword as well as its owner's golden hair.

Now that he had the chance to observe from a distance instead of being at the business end of the sword, Tamahome noticed the sinuous grace of Nakago's movements. The swordplay looked almost like an intricate dance which took an immense amount of control. Tamahome frowned in concentration, trying to identify the style of swordplay Nakago used, but it was like none he had ever seen before. In all probability, Nakago could have come up with it himself.

Before he could ruminate any further on it however, the subject of his attention whipped around, pointing the sword directly at him.

"You might as well come out."

Tamahome slowly stood up from his hiding place, trying not to look surprised that he had been detected. "How did you know I was here?" He was puzzled. To his knowledge, he had not made any noise nor done anything that could have given him away.

His arch-nemesis looked aloof, almost…smug. "Ahou ga. Your chi practically screams out your presence."

Tamahome's jaw dropped open in shock, "You…you can sense chi?" He stared at the other man in consternation. _But I thought only shichi seishi can sense chi…and since he's not Seiryuu shichi seishi anymore, how…? _

Nakago regarded him disdainfully, "What do you think?" He sheathed the weapon.

Tamahome noticed the way Nakago flicked the sword before he slid it back into its protective casing. From the way he did it, the Suzaku seishi could tell that it was more a force of habit than a conscious action. Tamahome had seen other swordsmen use this method to rid their swords of unwanted substances that might have stained their blades…_Like blood, _he thought uncomfortably. He barely managed to repress a shudder.

He tried to remember what his Master had told him about chi. _Chi is present in all living things. A person's chi is the energy of his spirit…A good warrior should be able to sense chi…it allows you to detect the presence of an enemy, know his intentions, and anticipate his attack. _So that was it. Nakago as a soldier, and a warrior, had been trained to sense chi, with or without the benefit of his powers. His Seiryuu gifted powers had just heightened that ability.

_Damn. Are there any more surprises he's hiding? Next we'll find out that he's got a talent for cooking as well! _

* * *

Notes:

I got the idea about Nakago being a good cook off the Nakago Fan Club site. It was theorised that since he was waiting alone for Miaka to turn up and get the Genbu Shinzaho back from him, who else was going to prepare all that food?


	8. If You Have To Ask

**Chapter 8: If You Have To Ask…**

Tamahome and Miaka were slowly adjusting to being around Nakago. They were still wary of him and gave him a wide berth whenever possible, which seemed to suit the blonde man just fine. The little conversation that actually did pass between the reluctant allies consisted mostly of insults, snide remarks and barbs. Thankfully however, no blood had been spilled yet, although many a time, it had been a close call.

Another day was drawing to a close when Nakago abruptly stopped on his tracks, his eyes narrowing. Something did not feel quite right, and Nakago had never been one to ignore his instincts. His hand went to his sword.

_What_ _the—?_ Tamahome tensed as he saw the former Seiryuu seishi reaching for his sword. Had Nakago decided to try to kill them after all? Tamahome was about to say something when he felt _it. _The chi of an enemy…hostile intentions did not even begin to describe what they had in mind for the three travellers.

"Incoming," Nakago remarked, in his calm, unflappable manner, even as a spear whistled past Tamahome's ear, barely missing his head.

Six warriors appeared, from various directions, closing in on them. The warriors were all dressed in dark purple, each one wielding a different weapon.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS?" Tamahome yelled in fury, directing a chi-blast at the closest one. The unfortunate would-be assassin was too close to avoid it and the impact flung him back a good distance, where he lay unmoving, having been knocked out for the count.

The Suzaku seishi cracked his knuckles gleefully, turning to the next opponent, who charged at him with a large, vicious looking battle axe. Behind him, Nakago had engaged in combat with an assassin who was using what looked like a metal tipped bullwhip.

_Poor fool…_Tamahome almost pitied the man standing against Nakago. Obviously, the assassin had not done any research on his opponent…if he had, he would have found out that Nakago was very proficient in the use of a whip. The blonde shogun knew exactly how a whip would move in battle and would be able to counter those moves effortlessly.

Tamahome was right. In less time than it took for Miaka to finish a meal, the whip-wielding assassin was reduced to a crumpled heap on the ground.

* * *

Miaka watched wide eyed from the cover of some bushes where Tamahome had shoved her the second he had sensed their attackers. Tamahome was at the moment, busy taunting a man who was trying to chop him into half with a battle axe.

"Is that the best you can do? My GRANDMOTHER can do better than that!" The enraged man took a swing at the Suzaku seishi, which Tamahome nimbly dodged.

Miaka switched her attention to Nakago and instantly regretted it. The blonde who had been her enemy not so long ago was dispatching his adversaries with frightening efficiency…And unlike Tamahome, there was no emotion on Nakago's face, except a cold, impassive mask. She quickly looked away as he systematically ended another assassin's life. She almost wished that he had his powers…at least when he chi-blasted someone, it was not quite so…bloody.

* * *

Meanwhile, another assassin had come to his comrade's aid. Tamahome now faced two growling purple-clad men. The symbol of the demon glowed on his forehead and his lips were pulled back in a gleeful sneer. He stood his ground as they both charged at him at the same time, waiting until they were almost on top of him before executing two simultaneous uppercuts which sent both attackers flying.

Giving an exaggerated sigh, he calmly walked over to the moaning heap of purple and cracked both their skulls together. Grinning victoriously, he dusted off his hands. That was when he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, the glint of sunlight reflecting off something on top of a rock outcropping just outside the immediate battleground.

_Kuso! There are more than six! _his mind screamed, even as he registered the familiar lines of the polished wood and metal contraception in the assassin's hands.

Crossbow. With steel tipped arrows.

_OH SHIT._

From where the assassin was, he had a clear shot of Nakago…And because the shogun's concentration was focused on the enemy in front of him, coupled with the fact that the crossbow handler was too far away for Nakago's un-enhanced chi sense to pick up, the blonde man was unaware that his life was in mortal danger…

* * *

Nakago ducked under the swipes of a matching set of daggers. Fighting with daggers meant that the user could move faster, because they were lighter and easier to manipulate. Using twin daggers meant that the fighter could use one dagger for defence and the other for attack. Indeed, the moves available to a person skilled in the art of fighting with two daggers were many and varied.

However, there was one problem…

The user had to get close to the enemy. Which was dangerous, when the opponent happened to be the former shogun of Kutou-koku.

As it was, the assassin was overbalanced for a fraction of a second after his unsuccessful attack. It was all the time Nakago needed to thrust his sword up into the man's stomach.

"Too slow," Nakago said dispassionately, as he straightened, withdrawing his weapon from the still gasping man. The assassin was not dead yet, but he would be, soon.

Without warning, he heard a faint whistling sound and saw a vision a dark blue-green hair appear out of nowhere in front him, shoving him roughly aside. There was the sickeningly juicy squelch of something embedding itself into human flesh, and a piercing scream…_From the Suzaku no Miko, _he realised.

Tamahome stood in the exact spot Nakago had occupied a moment ago, a bolt from a crossbow protruding out of his chest. The shogun instantly knew what had occurred, tearing his gaze away from Tamahome and scanning the rocky overhangs and outcroppings. He extended his senses, closing in on the enemy's chi.

_There._

The assassin was desperately trying to reload the crossbow. Nakago looked around, his eyes going to the dropped dagger on the ground. His eyes narrowed into mere slits, the blue bleached almost to the colour of liquid mercury.

In a deft move, he flipped the dagger up with his boot, and caught it expertly by its blade. Without even seeming to aim, he hurled it at the assassin. The deadly projectile gleamed in the sunlight as it spun blade over hilt, heading towards its target with unerring accuracy.

The next moment, the crossbow handler toppled off from his hiding place, a dagger sticking out of his forehead, right between his eyes.

The whole affair had taken all of eight seconds.

Nakago turned back to Tamahome even as Miaka reached her beloved. The seishi had collapsed on the ground. The bolt had gone in deep, barely missing the heart. The Suzaku seishi's hands were bloody where they grasped the shaft and the ground under his body had turned soggy from the rapidly spreading pool of dark red.

Miaka was on her knees, kneeling in Tamahome's blood, cradling him as she whispered his name in disbelief, begging him to respond.

From the laboured breathing and the faint gurgling sound he detected, Nakago guessed that the arrow had punctured a lung. Tamahome coughed, blood staining his lips and forming a thin trickle of red down his chin.

The Suzaku no Miko was crying now, her tears mixing with the blood of her lover. She seemed to have forgotten about the existence of anyone else, so focused was she on Tamahome.

Nakago stepped up, "Why did you do that for, Idiot?" His words were cold and harsh, masking the unease he felt.

Tamahome slowly opened his eyes to look at Nakago, the violet orbs hazed with pain. "If you have…to ask…you'll never understand…" he spoke with difficulty.

"Tamahome! Please…please save your strength!" Miaka cut in urgently. "Tamahome…" her voice trembled.

The dark haired man turned his attention to the love of his life, he could feel his life force draining out of him and knew it was almost over. "Miaka…" he whispered, "I want you to…promise me…"

She stared at him, tears almost blinding her, "Don't talk like that! You're going to be all right! You're going be all right," she repeated desperately, tears slipping down her face in a tragic waterfall.

"Iie…" he corrected her weakly, taking her hand in one of his, "Please promise me…that you'll carry on…and stop…Tenkou."

"Tamahome, I…" she stammered, wanting to refuse, refusing to accept…

"Miaka…please…" he looked into the hazel eyes he loved so well. _Don't make this so difficult Miaka…_

"Do it, Suzaku no Miko." A voice behind her. Cold. Unfeeling. Nakago.

"I…I promise," she sobbed, burying her face in Tamahome's neck and embracing him. She clung on to him for all she was worth, as if the strength of her grip could pull him back from death's door. _YOU CAN'T DIE! YOU CHEATED DEATH BEFORE, DIDN'T YOU?! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!!_

Tamahome stared at the top of Miaka's head, her heartwrenching sobs were tearing him apart inside, causing him more pain than his injuries. He turned his head once again and forced himself to focus on the blonde man standing a few feet away, a mute plea in his violet eyes.

_Please…_

Nakago's features hardened for an instant, before he gave a small, barely perceptible nod.

_Thank you…_Tamahome tried to convey his gratitude to the other man with a smile, but it come out more like a grimace of pain. His body was suddenly wrecked with coughs as he struggled to breathe through the blood filling his lungs.

"Tamahome! Don't leave me! Please don't die!" she whimpered pitifully.

"Gomen, Miaka…" he painfully raised a hand to caress her cheek, trying to wipe away her tears, but instead succeeding in leaving streaks of blood on her smooth skin. "Wo Ai Ni…always…"

His hand fell away from her cheek, as the last breath rattled in his lungs and the last trace of the faintly glowing symbol on his forehead disappeared completely.

"Tamahome! TAMAHOME!" she screamed, shaking him hard, not wanting to accept the fact that he had left her. "DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME!! WHAT ABOUT _YOUR_ PROMISE?? YOU PROMISED ME THAT WE WOULD ALWAYS BE TOGETHER! YOU SAID YOU WOULD ALWAYS PROTECT ME!! You promised…"

Nakago watched the Suzaku no Miko's anguish expressionlessly. Her pain was so intense that it was almost tangible. He stood, behind them, searching his thoughts. Shouldn't he be feeling happy that his greatest adversary was dead? Shouldn't he be rejoicing? Why was it that he felt a vague sense of loss instead of the joy he had expected?

"Suzaku no Miko—" he addressed her, his voice cutting through the cool evening air. She was still cradling Tamahome's head in her arms, rocking gently as if she was holding a sleeping baby. She ignored him, all her attention focused on her love.

It was quickly getting dark and he had no wish to remain in such an exposed position. Tenkou had sent the assassins after them. He recognised the unique purple that was the evil deity's signature colour. There was no guarantee that they would not be attacked again, and he wanted to put as much distance between them and the next group of assassins who were sure to follow.

_She's no use to anyone like this. _He swiftly walked over to her and forcefully hauled her up, tearing her away from Tamahome's body, "We have to leave. Now." he said coldly.

She wrenched herself out of his grip, tears of anger and grief streaming down her face. How dare he separate her from her beloved Tamahome? How dare he…

Nakago knew her intentions even before she realised them herself…and had positioned himself accordingly. He stood between her and the still body on the ground, preventing her from going back to it.

Miaka trembled as rage suffused her being when she realised what Nakago was doing. She did the only thing she could do. She lashed out at him.

"I hope you're happy now! You are, aren't you? Your strongest opponent is DEAD! HE TOOK THAT ARROW MEANT FOR YOU!! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!! I HATE YOU!!" she shrieked at him, losing control. Before he could respond to her accusations, she turned and ran away, as fast as her legs could carry her…trying to leave all her grief, her pain, and the sight of Tamahome's cold, lifeless body behind.

Her heart refused to believe what her mind knew was the truth. _Iie…Tamahome is not dead! He cannot be dead! _Locked in denial, she believed that if she ran fast enough and far enough, everything would be okay. Tamahome would soon catch up with her and save her from harm, like he always did…

* * *

Tasuki and Chichiri were in Konan palace having a discussion with the royal advisors when they both felt something inside them disappear…as if a part of them had died. Tasuki paled, his white knuckled hands holding on to the edge of the table in front of him for support. _No! Not this…it can't be! Obake-chan…_

Chichiri was in no better condition. The monk had gone as white as a sheet under his mask. "Oh no…Tamahome…" he whispered shakily, his usual 'no da' conspicuously absent.

Tasuki fell on his knees, in front of the astonished advisors, tears dripping from his bloodless face. "Miaka…please…please be all right…"

And for the second time in his life, Tasuki fainted.

* * *

Notes:

Ducks a pitchfork thrown by an angry lynch mob of Tamahome fans and Tamahome/Miaka supporters Er…Sorry? It's not that I hate Tamahome or anything…just that his death is crucial to the rest of the story….Poor Obake-chan just had to go! Besides, this story is gonna centre around Nakago-sama! : :Evil cackle: :


	9. Epitaph

**Chapter 9: Epitaph**

Nakago stood over Tamahome's body, eyeing it critically. He supposed he had to do something about it. The scent of blood would attract predators, and Tamahome, annoying as he was in life, still deserved better than to become a meal for scavengers in his death.

He began methodically building a fire even as one part of his mind questioned why he was even bothering to do this for his arch enemy…for the very same person who had thwarted all his plans.

_Because if I don't, the ghost of the annoying brat will come back to haunt me for eternity, _another part of his mind answered.

It did not take him long to construct a makeshift funeral pyre. Standing back to survey his handiwork, he observed the flames as they consumed Tamahome's mortal remains, releasing the thick, sickly sweet scent of burning human flesh. Nakago forced himself not to gag on the stomach churning scent, watching the flames die out slowly as the last of their grisly fuel was used up…until there was nothing left of the Suzaku seishi except a pile of ash which was swiftly scattered by the wind.

The blonde shogun stared at the blackened spot on the ground for a moment. This was probably Tamahome's ultimate revenge, he thought darkly. He was now stuck with the less than desirable responsibility of protecting the Suzaku no Miko.

All because of an unspoken warriors' code of honour which demanded to be fulfilled and upheld.

Nakago had imagined Hell many, many times, in many different ways, but this was not one of them. It did not make his punishment any less torturous however…and having to protect the whiny, ditzy, crybaby who was the Suzaku no Miko was certainly equivalent to Hell for him.

Tamahome's spirit was probably laughing at him right now.

Damn him.

Cursing Tamahome silently a few more times for added measure, Nakago sighed inwardly and turned, setting off in the direction the Suzaku no Miko had taken.

The last rays of the setting sun illuminated the small pile of rocks that served, for anyone who bothered to look, as a testament to a fallen hero.

* * *

It did not take him long to catch up with her. The rocky, uneven ground had slowed her down causing her to trip and stumble every few steps. She was obviously exhausted, but she kept going as if she was being chased by demons, which in a way, she was…only those demons plaguing her were all conjured by her own mind.

She came to the edge of a cliff, so blinded by tears that she did not even see it. One moment she was running, stumbling over stones, the next she was in free fall, the ground having vanished under her feet. Miaka was too surprised to even scream as she plunged head first into the swirling waters of the river below.

Her last thought as the dark waters closed over her was _maybe it's better this way…_

_The silly little twit! _Nakago uttered an oath as Miaka ran herself off the cliff. He would have liked to stop and watch as the girl who had been a thorn in his side for so long committed suicide… Unfortunately, if the Suzaku no Miko actually succeeded in killing herself, he could not fulfil his promise to Tamahome, which would leave him indebted to the annoying blue-green haired Suzaku seishi for all eternity. To Nakago, that was completely unacceptable… It was already humiliating enough that he owed Tamahome his life.

Quickly shrugging off his armour but retaining his sword, Nakago scowled and plunged into the river after her.

* * *

It was dark when two bedraggled figures emerged from the river. Or rather, one figure emerged from the water dragging the other limp figure after him. Nakago was angry, irritated and extremely pissed off, although none of it showed on his face. _Fate must be playing one hell of a cosmic joke on me. I really should have killed her when I had the chance. _If there was one thing that he could not tolerate, it was stupidity.

He wondered how people as stupid as the Suzaku seishi and their even stupider Miko had ever managed to defeat him.

His lips were pressed into a thin, hard line as he surveyed the unconscious Miko. She was still alive…just barely. However, she would not stay alive for long if he did not do something to get her to start breathing again. Her skin was clammy and had an unhealthy blue tinge and her weak pulse was rapidly fading.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned over her and sealed his mouth to hers, blowing air into her lungs. He put the sour thoughts of how insanely ridiculous the entire notion of saving the rival Miko was out of his mind and concentrated on what he was doing.

Nothing.

He repeated his actions. Once. Twice. Three times. Rhythmically forcing air into her lungs until she jerked slightly under him. He immediately turned her onto her side, as she started coughing up large quantities of water. Nakago crossed his arms and sat back silently, vaguely intrigued by how one small girl could inhale that much water.

She lay gasping, her lungs gratefully taking in the precious oxygen. The last thing she remembered was strong arms wrapping around her as she sunk into the depths of the river…and the cool lips on hers as she had regained consciousness. _Tamahome…I knew you would save me…_

She slowly pushed herself upright and turned around, expecting to see Tamahome smiling at her, chiding her for her clumsiness. What greeted her was the vision of a man with ice blue eyes and blonde hair, regarding her with the coldest of expressions.

The shock, coupled with her near drowning, frayed emotions and exhaustion, was too much for her overtaxed nervous system to handle, and she slumped to the ground in a dead faint.

* * *

There were very few things that surprised Nakago. The Suzaku no Miko's fainting at the sight of him was not one of them. He had even expected it. Even now, he could sense that her chi was so weak that it was almost non-existent.

The night was getting colder and a chill wind was starting to blow. Grudgingly, he picked up the comatose girl and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. Mentally cursing Tamahome for everything that had happened, he set off in search of a place that would at least provide some shelter from the wind. He would have willingly left the Suzaku no Miko to spend the night out in the open had it not been for the fact that she would most probably freeze to death…and he had no intention of letting her die before he paid off his debt to Tamahome.

As luck would have it, the shadowy outline of a small structure revealed itself in the moonlight. It was located a short distance from the river and looked to be abandoned, judging from its dilapidated appearance. Nakago concentrated briefly, extending his senses, but found no evidence of anything which would pose a danger in the immediate vicinity.

He nudged the door to the rickety hut open, allowing moonlight to spill into the interior. The hut was empty. And dusty, attesting to the conclusion that no one had been inside for a very long time. In the corner lay a very old, threadbare blanket, neatly folded.

_How convenient, _he thought sardonically, as he set the unresponsive girl down on the floor. He wasn't particularly gentle about it since he reasoned that it would not matter anyway. She was unlikely to come around and start screaming at him for the rough handling. A gust of strong wind shook the hut and it swayed alarmingly. However, it did not concern him overly. If the abandoned structure had stood up to the elements for so long, it was unlikely that it would collapse now.

Nakago turned his attention back to the situation at hand. The clothes both he and the Suzaku no Miko were wearing were soaked through from their impromptu swim in the river. Unless he got her out of her wet clothing and found a way to warm her up, she was going to get hypothermia and die.

Coming to a decision, he quickly stripped her down to her underwear. She shivered and curled reflexively into a foetal ball, whimpering with cold. Once done, he took off his own shirt, wringing it slightly and spreading it out to dry. He decided to leave his pants on, since he did not think the Suzaku no Miko would appreciate waking up with a naked man…and her greatest enemy no less.

Smirking at the thought, he lay down beside her, pulling her body close and spooning himself against her back. He wrapped the blanket around both their bodies and slowly allowed himself to relax, letting his mind wander. A few weeks ago, something like this would have been unthinkable. If anyone had told him that he would one day be caught in a situation like this, he would have thought them insane and chi blasted them.

He closed his eyes, inhaling the unique scent which always seemed linger about the Suzaku no Miko. Sweet. _Fresh strawberries, _he identified. His lips quirked at the scene that was going to play itself out when she woke up…

It was definitely going to be interesting, to say the least.

* * *

Notes:

Hehhehheh...: :evil grin: : I'm sure lots of people would give their left eye just to wake up with Nakago... ;-) Mini blanket scenario starring Nakago and Miaka. Haven't seen one of those, so I decided to write my own!


	10. Resolution

**Chapter 10: Resolution**

Miaka felt deliciously warm and comfortable as she reluctantly crossed over the line between sleep and consciousness. She really did not want to wake up, but figured that she had to do so sooner or later. Slowly opening her eyes, she found herself under an ancient, musty blanket, and at the same time registering that she was pressed against a warm male body. _Tamahome, _she thought, blushing a little. She could feel his steady heartbeat and his strong arms wrapped securely around her waist. His breath tickled the hairs on the back of her neck and she smiled in contentment, snuggling backwards into the warmth of his body.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing, Suzaku no Miko?" a deep voice whispered sensuously in her ear.

It was the voice which had haunted countless nightmares. In a flash, she was at one end of the room, her back against the wall, staring at him in horror, her eyes wide and wild with fear.

He sat up, arms resting casually on his knees, with a smirk on his lips. The blanket still covered the lower half of his body, making him look as if he was completely naked under it.

"You…you didn't…" she paled at the horrible implications. She had not even noticed that she was still in fact, wearing her underwear.

"Don't you remember, Suzaku no Miko?" he asked smoothly, the smirk turning malicious, "It takes two to commit such an act."

She slowly slid down against the wall, until she was sitting with her knees drawn up almost to her chin. Tears leaked from her wide, unseeing eyes. "No…it can't be…" she mumbled more to herself than to him.

Nakago eyed the whimpering girl coolly, tiring of the charade. _Oh dear, she looks like she's going to faint again. Can't have that now, can we? _He fought the urge to roll his blue eyes heavenward. _Some people are just so gullible._

"If you had been a little more observant you would have realised that you are still wearing your underwear." He stood up, leaving the blanket laying in a heap on the floor, revealing that he was still wearing his pants. When she did not reply immediately, he crossed the room to stand in front of her.

She was staring at him blankly, her mind still struggling to comprehend what she was seeing. Suddenly, she bolted to her feet and screamed at him, "YOU SICK JERK! HOW DARE YOU TRICK ME LIKE THAT!!" She finally looked down at herself before her eyes snapped back to his in a glare that could have melted lead, "AND WHERE ARE THE REST OF MY CLOTHES? YOU JERK… YOU…YOU HENTAIIIIIII!!"

The former Seiryuu seishi lifted an eyebrow at her outburst, noticing that her entire body, not just her face, had turned a delicate shade of pink in embarrassment, "Now, now…Is that any way to speak to the person who just saved your life?" he drawled calmly.

_Saved my…_without warning, everything came flooding back to her. Memories of the events that had transpired the day before. Falling off the cliff…Her near drowning…Tamahome dying. _Oh god…_She clamped a hand to her mouth, feeling the raw grief envelop her and the accompanying nausea. Bile rose up in her throat, almost choking her as her eyes began to water.

She blindly pushed past him, stumbling over to the corner where her now dry clothes were and rapidly pulled them on, fumbling with the buttons because her hands were trembling so badly. Then, not seeming to see anything else, she fled out of the hut without another word.

* * *

_This is REALLY starting to annoy me. _He picked up his shirt and put it on unhurriedly, neatly tucking it into his pants. Dressed, he pushed open the door and stepped out into the morning sun. It really wouldn't be difficult to find her. People in grief did not usually have the presence of mind to cover their tracks. The Suzaku no Miko would run in a straight line, like a bat out of hell.

And run in a straight line she did, her feet taking her directly back to the river. He found her under a tree on the bank, sobbing her heart out.

_We do not have time for this. _She was wasting her energy crying. Tamahome would not come back to life no matter how long she mourned his death in this manner. His entire face hardened into a cold, hard mask and his jaw tightened. The dead could never come back to life, no matter what you did. He knew that from personal experience.

"Suzaku no Miko. We have to go. Now." The words were clipped and sharp, almost an order.

"Go. Away." she managed to get out between her tears. The blonde man standing a few feet from her was the last person she wanted to see. It was as if he existed solely to torment her. Miaka didn't want to see his gloating smirk or hear his dreaded voice uttering words that would deface Tamahome's memory.

"Spare me the display of childish emotion, it won't bring Tamahome back." Nakago stated flatly, a tinge of impatience in his tone.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!!" She yelled at him, tears streaming down her face. His blunt words angered her, causing her tenuous hold on her rampaging emotions to snap. "WHY? WHY DID HE HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO DIE AND NOT —!" She clapped her hands over her mouth, mortified at what she had been about to say.

"—Me?" he completed the sentence for her, lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "It's all right, dear Miko, you can say it. In fact, you have no idea how many times I've asked myself that very same question."

His reply seemed to have a strange effect on her. She sunk to the ground as if she no longer had the strength to support her own weight, her voice came out as a thin whisper.

"You should have let me die."

He looked down at her, a tiny figure huddled on the ground at his feet. She was the picture of abject misery which would have touched the heart of the most battle-hardened warrior.

"You really are pathetic, Suzaku no Miko." He towered over her, his voice dripping with contempt, "Tamahome was a fool. Personally, I think it was good riddance."

Nakago's words cut through the haze of grief and hopelessness which had shrouded her. She exploded with fury, "DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!" She was on her feet now, her hazel eyes flaring with anger. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!!" she shrieked at him.

For one brief moment, Nakago saw the red chi of Suzaku surround her, shimmering like a translucent red veil.

She didn't seem to notice.

Her entire body had developed a fine tremor and her fists were balled at her sides in rage, "I don't have to listen to you and I don't expect you to understand how losing someone feels like…" her voice lowered into a hiss, "Because you…you don't even have a heart."

He let out a soft, derisive snort of amusement, "So the poor little Miko has no one to coddle her. How sad," he mocked.

"I'd rather DIE than be stuck with YOU!" She spat out each word as if she were spitting out melon seeds.

"Hhn. I suppose they should have given the task of saving the world to someone who could handle it, ne?" he continued conversationally, as if she had not said a single word. "Too bad for this world really. I almost pity the people depending on you to save them."

The blonde shogun looked her in the eye, his glacial stare meeting her enraged gaze as he coolly announced, "You are utterly disappointing, little girl. You really _are _pathetic…you're nothing but a whiny, spoilt little brat."

_Just a little more should do the trick…_

His voice dipped until it was just loud enough for her to hear. Mercilessly, Nakago drove the final insult home.

"You disgrace Suzaku…I don't know what that idiot Tamahome ever saw in you."

Nakago sensed rather than saw the fist headed towards his face and caught her wrist just before it made contact. She tried to hit him with her other hand, but he easily deflected the blow and soon had both her wrists pinned to the tree behind her in a vise-like grip.

"LET GO OF ME!!" She struggled valiantly, trying to break his hold, but even without his powers, his strength was far superior to hers.

It did not take her long to realise that whatever effort would be an exercise in futility. As suddenly as she had began, she stopped struggling and sagged in defeat. The anger seemed to vanish along with the light in her eyes, leaving them dull and lifeless…and frighteningly empty.

"Let go of me," she repeated quietly as she stood passively in his grasp, "Go away, Nakago…just go away and leave me alone," she whispered almost inaudibly.

He did not release his punishing grip on her. "Look at you, Suzaku no Miko," he sounded disgusted, "You think you're the only one who has experienced loss?" She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to escape the silver blue stare that seemed to burn into her soul…trying to deny the truths he was throwing at her.

Nakago continued relentlessly, "Do you think that the world revolves around you and you alone? You are so selfish. People die everyday. It is a fact of life," he said harshly, "Deal with it."

Abruptly he let her go. Her wrists would most probably have bruises later as evidence of this encounter, but Nakago did not care. Miaka just stood there, tears silently trickling down her cheeks from under closed lids.

He turned his back on her and began to walk away. After a few paces, he stopped and addressed her over his shoulder.

"People are depending on you to prevent this world from being destroyed. If you don't pull yourself together, then Tenkou will have already won…" He did not bother to turn around or even look at her as he finished his sentence. "…And Tamahome would have sacrificed his life for nothing."

He carried on walking back to the hut without a backward glance.

* * *

Miaka did not move for a long time after Nakago had left her alone. Her wrists bore the red marks of his fingers, but those were the least of her concerns. Her eyes felt gritty and sore, and she had a headache from too much crying.

She wondered why her greatest enemy had even bothered to save her. She had nothing to live for now that Tamahome was dead.

Turning, she mechanically walked to the water's edge. Sunlight rippled over the water in an endless hypnotic pattern. _It would be so easy to just— _

She took a step forward, the water lapping at her feet. The small waves seemed to beckon to her…

_Promise me…_

She almost staggered under the crushing weight of the grief which accompanied the memory. She tried to block Tamahome's voice out of her thoughts, but the words filtered through relentlessly.

_Promise me…that you'll carry on…and stop…Tenkou_.

"How can I? How do you expect me to continue on without you?" she screamed into the silence, but only the gentle gurgling of the river answered her cry of despair. _Why Tamahome? Why did you have to leave me? You promised to protect me forever…_

She had promised Tamahome that she would find the shinzahos and stop the evil deity…but she did not know if she had the strength or the willpower to do so anymore. It felt as if half her soul...half her heart, had been ripped away, leaving the remaining half torn and bleeding. Why did she have to save this world? So that others could be happy? What about her? What about _HER _happiness?

So many questions. So much grief…She took another step forward. The water sloshed around her ankles.

_People are depending on you to prevent this world from being destroyed. If you don't pull yourself together, then Tenkou will have already won…_

Nakago's words intruded in on her thoughts with impeccable timing. The voice was so cool, calm and collected…directly at odds with the emotional wreck that Miaka was. She clutched her head in both her hands in an unsuccessful effort to banish his hated voice. _Why can't you just leave me alone?_

_…and Tamahome would have sacrificed his life for nothing._

She suddenly straightened, startled as the full meaning of the words dawned on her. Was what Nakago said really true? Tamahome had died fully expecting her to complete their mission and stop Tenkou. If she just gave up now, she would be letting him down. Everyone was depending on her…how could she just ignore them?

She stared down at the shimmering water in shame. There was so much more at stake than her own happiness. The fate of this world and her own world hung on the balance, and here she was, wallowing in self-pity. Nakago had been right, she had been so very selfish.

Miaka took a deep, shuddering breath and turned, her face set in resolve. Her choice made, she slowly walked back to the hut. Her steps were heavy and unsteady with the grief still hanging over her, but for now, she would ignore the pain and carry on just like Tamahome had wanted her to. The rest of the world was waiting, and she had a promise to keep.

* * *

Notes:

Nakago is always right! grin Reverse psychology in action. Wonder whether his speech should be classified under "Motivational" or "Inspirational"? Hehhehheh...

He's a bit rough with her because he's not in a terribly good mood. (You would be pissed too if you had the responsibility of protecting someone you can't stand dumped on you!)


	11. A Matter of You Versus Me

**Chapter 11: A Matter of You Versus Me **

Nakago had not seemed overly surprised by her return, and she was thankful that he had refrained from saying anything. In fact, he acted as if the whole incident had never happened; the only evidence that it had not been a dream being the bruises on her wrists.

They had been swept quite a distance down-river, but by sheer dumb luck, it had brought them closer to Sairo. Nakago admitted, to himself, that they had made better time as a result of the Suzaku no Miko's near-fatal stunt than if they had continued over land. Of course, he was not going to tell her that.

They did not talk to each other over the course of the day, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Miaka was edgy being alone in Nakago's company. She could not forget the time when he had almost raped her. In addition to that, what had occurred when she had awakened that morning was still fresh in her mind. She devoted herself to trying to figure out the blonde shogun's motives for remaining with her. It was not everyday that the person who had been trying to kill you for the last few months suddenly decided to save your life…Still, his presence was better than being alone…Even if he did make her nervous.

She did not question his decision to stop for the night. They had entered a dense, dark forest where shadows loomed all round them and the eyes of night creatures reflected back at them from just outside the tiny circle of light made by their campfire. She sat as close to the fire as she could, knees drawn up to her chin and arms wrapped around her legs. The warmth from the orange flames was comforting, but it did little to ease the pain in her heart. She stared at the reflection cast by the flickering flames in the still, dark waters of the pond beside them.

Suddenly, all went still. And silent. The constant background noise made by the nocturnal creatures in the forest had ceased abruptly. Even the crickets and the frogs in the pond had fallen silent. She looked up and saw that from his position on the other side of the fire, Nakago had stiffened. His right hand gripped the hilt of his sword as his eyes narrowed.

"Get behind me." It was an order, to be obeyed instantly. She did as he asked, sensing that this was not the time to argue with him.

No sooner had she complied when she thought she saw shadowy shapes moving just beyond the field of her vision. Somewhere close by, an eerie howl erupted, confirming her worst fears. Slowly, the ghostly shapes solidified into large, menacing creatures with long dagger-like fangs which glinted in the firelight.

* * *

"MIAKA!!" Tamahome screamed desperately as he struggled against Nuriko. The violet haired seishi had his arms locked around Tamahome, preventing him from moving or leaving.

"We can't do anything, Tamahome! And we need you here!" Nuriko yelled.

Hotohori, Mitsukake and Chiriko stood around them, helplessly watching as their comrade fought to return to his love's side. It was impossible however…they were all no more than spirits and could not do anything to aid Miaka. They were in Taiitsukun's palace, sending their chi to her to help her keep the stability of this world…and just barely succeeding. They needed Tamahome to focus his chi to help keep Tenkou at bay.

Without warning, everyone spun around, sensing an outside presence. Before them stood a tall, pale woman with long red hair reaching almost to her feet. The Suzaku seishi all unconsciously tensed, even though like them, she was no more than a spirit.

"Soi…" Tamahome managed to whisper.

Hotohori moved into a defensive stance. So this was Seiryuu shichi seishi, Soi…the woman who had tried to fry Miaka with her lightning. "What do you want?" the emperor's spirit demanded.

Soi looked at all of them balefully before fixing her sad eyes on Tamahome. "You need not worry about the Suzaku no Miko, Tamahome…" she said so softly that the other seishi had to strain to hear her, "Nakago-sama will not break his promise."

With that, she vanished, before any of the Suzaku seishi could say a word.

* * *

All at once, two wolves leapt at them, claws and fangs extended…only to be sent flying back into the rest of the pack as Nakago's sword swung is a shining arc, slashing across their chests. The injured wolves whimpered in pain, blood matting their fur.

Unfortunately, immediately after the first two wolves attacked, the leader of the pack launched its own attack. It flew at Nakago before he had a chance to strike it down and sunk its razor sharp teeth into his right arm…the one holding the sword. That made it impossible to use his weapon against the animal.

_Damn…first two were only a distraction. And it's intelligent enough to attack my sword arm…_The irony of the situation was not lost on Nakago. The tactics used by the lead wolf were so similar to the ones he himself had used against his enemies in the past that it was almost amusing. However, the pain in his arm convinced him that there were more urgent matters to attend to than thinking about poetic justice.

One part of his mind noted with clinical detachment that the lead wolf was undoubtedly the largest in the pack. It was a magnificent silver-grey specimen, almost as big as Ashitare and infinitely better looking. Another part was busy formulating a strategy to detach the animal from his arm and extract himself and the Suzaku no Miko from the increasingly ugly situation…

…And the last part demanded to know what in hell he thought he was doing facing a pack of wolves without his powers.

_Nakago is…protecting me?_ Miaka watched wide-eyed as Nakago put himself between her and the wolves. There were about nine of the snarling, growling creatures. Their amber eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, following the movements of their prey.

_Why would he…?_

Before she could complete the thought, a wolf had latched onto his arm. His involuntary grunt of pain, forced out from between clenched teeth spurred her into action. Without even thinking, she grabbed a burning stick from the fire behind her and thrust it into the animal's side.

She was rewarded with the smell of singed fur and burning flesh as the wolf yelped and promptly let go, allowing Nakago to stab his sword into its throat.

It crumpled to the ground with a strangled gurgle, its windpipe severed. Seeing that their leader had been killed, the rest of the pack slowly backed away. Miaka brandished the burning wood at them as the last of the wolves slunk off into the shadows.

Only then did she let out the breath she did not even know she'd been holding. Her eyes went to the recently dispatched wolf lying in a bloody heap on the ground before she turned to look at Nakago.

His sleeve was stained a deep red and blood dripped off his fingertips to splatter onto the ground.

"You're injured!" she blurted, starting forward to inspect the wound.

"It's nothing," he looked down at his arm and was vaguely surprised at the amount of blood already puddled on the ground.

She stared at him in amazement, then her eyes narrowed in irritation at his unnaturally calm tone. "Nothing? Nothing my foot! You're spilling enough blood to open a blood donation centre!" She noticed the odd look he gave her and sighed explosively, "Look, there's gonna be more blood on the ground than inside you in a while!"

She glared at him, "Now sit down and let me try to clean that before it gets infected!"

"I'm fine," came the succinct reply with no hint of any emotion whatsoever.

"No! You are NOT fine!!" She grabbed his wrist and a bolt of white hot pain lanced up his arm, causing him to let out an involuntary hiss of pain.

He glared at her, his gaze deadly enough to stun a charging bull elephant at a hundred paces. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Suzaku no Miko?"

Miaka met his gaze steadily, refusing to be intimidated, "At least let me stop the bleeding…please," she said quietly. Her fingers were slick with his blood.

Nakago stared at her for a long moment, weighing his options. He was already feeling light-headed and tired…the effect of his continued bloodloss. He really needed to stop the bleeding, and what she asked wasn't so very difficult, was it?

"All right," he said finally.

She nodded and moved away to find something to clean the wound with while he settled himself against a tree before he keeled over. It wouldn't do to faint in front of the Suzaku no Miko. He allowed his eyelids to slide shut. _Just for a while…_

His eyes sprung open, every muscle in his body tensed, when he heard a slight rustle beside him. _Must have drifted off…_he realised as he noticed the Suzaku no Miko crouched next to him, with something light and silky in her hands. It was white and had delicate lace trimmed edges. He recognised it from the time he'd taken off her wet clothes when they had been back at the hut.

She gripped the lacy garment and began ripping it into strips. Once done, she picked up the other half of the destroyed slip and walked over to the pond, wetting the cloth thoroughly before returning to his side.

"May I borrow your dagger?" She indicated the sheathed dagger in his boot. It seemed more a command than a question, and he decided not to ask how she knew that he kept a weapon hidden there.

Wordlessly, he pulled out the thin blade and handed it to her. _You are really getting soft, Nakago, to be taking orders from the Suzaku no Miko, _sneered his mental voice. He watched stoically as she began cutting away his bloodied sleeve, exposing the full extent of the injury. Only years of battlefield experience and the refusal to show any type of weakness in front of the Suzaku no Miko prevented him from wincing at the deep, jagged gash surrounded by teeth marks.

He heard her suck in a breath at that sight of the wound, then saw her set her jaw in steely determination. Slowly, she picked up the wet cloth and gently ran it over the gash, carefully squeezing water over it and mopping up the blood.

Miaka worked in silence until she was satisfied that the wound seemed reasonably clean. She hoped that the wolf did not have rabies…she shuddered at the thought, wishing that she had something more to disinfect the wound with. At the moment, she had to make do with water. She noticed that as soon as she cleaned away the dried blood caking the gash, fresh blood would well up to the surface. The cloth in her hands was already almost entirely stained a deep red.

_Got to stop the bleeding…_Nakago looked paler than usual, even for a gaijin.

_Who'd have thought, that I would ever be worried for Nakago? _She pushed the thought aside and concentrated on trying to staunch the bloodflow. She could feel his ice blue eyes watching her, but he made no move to either help or hinder her.

Picking out a short strip of clean cloth, she tied a tourniquet on his arm, just above the elbow. Then folding another piece of cloth into a square, she pressed it firmly down on the wound. "Here, hold this for me," she said, breaking the silence.

Nakago showed no outward signs of discomfort at her actions, except for the tightening of a muscle in his jaw. He did as she asked without comment, holding the square of fabric in place as she begun winding the remainder of the long strips around his arm.

"There…all done," she pronounced finally, tying a firm knot. She sat back on her heels, looking up at him, a concern he never thought he would ever see reflected in her eyes. "It's not too tight, is it?" She asked tentatively, suddenly unsure of herself.

"It's all right," his voice was as impassive as ever. When it seemed as though he wasn't going to say anything more, she stood up and started to walk back to her place on the opposite side of the fire. _What did you expect from him, Miaka? A word of thanks? _

"Why?" the abrupt question stopped her on her tracks.

"Huh?" she replied blankly.

"Why did you insist on doing this?" He was regarding her with an expression that could almost pass for curiosity…almost. It was hard to tell, actually, since his expression hardly ever changed except when he smirked.

"Well, if we didn't stop the bleeding and if the wound got infected, we'd have to chop off your arm and_— _" Miaka babbled nervously.

"That's not what I meant, Suzaku no Miko, and you know it," he cut her off impatiently. "Why do you even care what happens to me?"

"I could ask the same of you!" she shot back.

They were at a stalemate, neither party willing to budge an inch. She glared at him, and he coolly stared back.

This went on for several long minutes, until Nakago made a tactical decision and decided to concede. If he didn't, they'd still be locked in a battle of wills come daybreak. "I made a promise to protect you," he stated somewhat reluctantly.

"Nani?" she breathed, her face going pale. The words swam through her head. _Promise? To…Tamahome?_

Nakago leaned back against the tree, "I owe Tamahome a debt for saving my life," his eyes pinned her with a cold, hard look, "And you, Suzaku no Miko, of all people, should know by now that I always keep my promises."

Tears had clouded her eyes, threatening to overflow. _Tamahome…_Renewed grief flooded her being with a vengeance and almost overwhelmed her. Up till now, she had managed to suppress it by simply not thinking about it.

The sound of his voice was like a dash of cold water. Miaka scrubbed a sleeve across her eyes, "What?"

"You haven't answered my question."

"I…" her hands curled into fists, fingernails digging painfully into her palms. "I…don't want anyone else to die because of me…" she trailed off, losing herself in her own thoughts.

"Even if it's me?" Her eyes snapped back up to meet his. His stoic expression had not altered, but she detected a faint hint of amusement in his tone.

She shot him a poisonous look, and turned her back on him. She thought she heard him chuckle and no doubt there would be that insufferable smirk on his face. It was strange, the way her anger at Nakago overrode her grief over Tamahome. It stopped her from dwelling on his death, and in a strange, twisted way, she was grateful to the blonde man. Not that she would ever admit it to him…she could not even admit it to herself.

* * *

Nakago observed the sleeping girl opposite him. It amazed him, that she actually trusted him enough to be able to sleep in his presence. He pondered over her earlier actions, when she had bandaged his arm. It had all seemed rather surreal…and he, Nakago, had been surprised. A great feat, since hardly anything ever surprised him. After all he had done to her…after almost killing her, she had still treated him like she would have treated one of her own seishi. Was she really that forgiving?

Once he had seen her forgive Tamahome in Kutou, even after he had broken her arm and nearly killed the Suzaku seishi Tasuki. He had thought her naïve and foolish then…a little girl blinded by the childish concept of love. Yet he could not help but wonder what would have happened if she had been Seiryuu no Miko instead of Yui…

He ended the dangerous train of thought before it could progress any further. No use wondering about what might have been. Tilting his head up, he studied the stars through a gap in the foliage overhead and mentally estimated how long it would take them to get to Sairo. Once there, they would have a difficult task of recovering the Shinzahos. He knew roughly where they were buried…excavating them from the rubble was another matter altogether.

His jaw tightened as he wondered for the Nth time why he had ever allowed himself to get involved in this whole mess.

* * *

Notes:

When Nakago says that "...I always keep my promises" he is referring to the promise he made to Yui about not killing Miaka.


	12. You Shall Know The Truth

**Chapter 12: You Shall Know The Truth… **

They made it out of the forest the next day without further incident, finding themselves in a small town at the edge of the desert. Luckily for them, the people were very hospitable. It also helped that the Suzaku no Miko was able to charm most of the patrons in the small establishment which passed for a tavern at the edge of the town. Most of them were male, Nakago noted, and there was no shortage of people offering to buy her food and drink.

He watched from a discreet corner of the room as she recounted to a captive audience how they had killed a wolf which, from her descriptions, had to be about the size of three oxen. He could not help but be amused by her gross exaggerations and more so at the way her spellbound audience seemed to lap it all up. The best thing about it was that some of the men were nodding and confirming her story by saying how they'd had close encounters with the aforesaid wolf…

The Suzaku no Miko was friendly, easy-going…effervescent. That was what drew people to her like bees to honey…or moths to a flame. She seemed to have gotten over Tamahome's death, but he knew that appearances could be deceiving…It did not escape his notice, how the light in her eyes was somehow that little bit dimmer and how at certain times, her cheerfulness seemed a little too forced. For someone who shunned emotions, Nakago was astonishingly adapt at reading them in other people.

His thoughts were interrupted by the approach of a plump, provocatively dressed serving girl. She was so heavily made-up that he was almost certain that if she smiled too widely, her face would crack. Unfortunately, she seemed to have made him her target and advanced on him. Nakago had a pretty good idea of what was coming.

"Hello, Handsome," she cooed, batting her eyelashes at him, unaware of his faint look of distaste.

She leaned towards him, thrusting her ample bosom at his face. She did not seem the least put off by his icy stare. _Some people, _he reflected, _just can't take a hint. _It prompted him to change tactics. _Might as well make use of this opportunity…_

"Hello," he allowed a smirk to tug on his lips.

The woman sighed dreamily in appreciation. The golden haired man sitting at the table in front of her was absolutely gorgeous, and it was hard not to swoon in his presence. And that smile…she would have willingly melted into a puddle at his feet had it not been for the insistent demands for more rice from a patron at another table. She tossed a dirty look at the other customer and turned back to the handsome man. "I'll be back!" she gave him her best come-hither look before departing.

"Take your time," the blonde haired stranger said smoothly.

She served the other customer and made it back in record time, placing a tray of food down on the table in front of him along with a drink. "It's on the house," she winked at him suggestively, implying that she would be happy to provide other…services 'on-the-house' as well.

Nakago was mildly amused at her antics. The stupid woman obviously thought that all her eyelash fluttering and insipid, high pitched giggling would make her attractive to him. Truth to tell, she reminded him too much of the former Kutou Emperor's concubines. It repulsed him.

He graced her with another half-smirk, "Arigatou," he said agreeably. He made it sound as sincere as possible, and she beamed happily at him. _Stupid cow_, he thought disdainfully.

Thankfully, she was forced to leave him in peace as a fresh barrage of orders were shouted out by other customers.

* * *

Miaka watched him out of the corner of her eye as a voluptuous girl started trying to chat him up. The poor girl must have been blind to have missed the fleeting look of disgust which had passed over Nakago's face. Still…Miaka could not help but snigger at the girl's misguided attempts to gain his favour. As the scene between the waitress and her former worst enemy played out, she noticed with growing interest that Nakago had apparently overcome his initial dislike and had started…

_By the gods…is he FLIRTING with her?? _Miaka did not know whether to throw up or to burst out laughing at the sheer hilarity of it all. Frankly, she had not even dared to imagine Nakago being capable of such a thing.

Miaka gulped as Nakago turned on the charm. She could almost swear that the temperature in the room had just risen by about ten degrees…and he was at the corner furthest away from her! Not only had the blonde shogun been blessed with good looks and intelligence, at the moment, he practically oozed sexuality. He could turn it on and off at will, it seemed…and he wasn't above using it to his advantage, as evidenced by the free meal he'd just managed to charm out of the poor deluded waitress.

* * *

The sun hung low on the horizon when they left the town behind. Nakago had informed Miaka that it was better to travel in the desert at night when it was cooler. Both of them carried packs containing food and water given to them by the townsfolk. A gift, they insisted, for killing the wolf which had been posing a threat to the people living near the edge of the forest; although Nakago suspected it had more to do with the Suzaku no Miko's storytelling skills and sweet nature than with the wolf.

Still…he was not complaining. The food and water would come in useful in the desert. Having the Suzaku no Miko around did have its uses after all…

The people were also more than happy to tell them the fastest route to Sairo, through a little known shortcut. According to them, it would cut the time spent travelling by half.

It was strange, the way they had both adjusted to being in each other's company. Neither of them spoke about Tamahome by a mutual, unvoiced agreement. Miaka ceased being nervous in the blonde man's presence, forcing herself to stop questioning his motives and trust him.

After several hours of walking, they crested a sand dune and were greeted with the glittering lights of the desert city of Sairo a short distance away. Miaka was elated. They were almost at their destination! "Yatta!" she crowed ecstatically, "We're finally here!"

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet, Suzaku no Miko," Nakago did not turn to face her, singularly unimpressed by her exuberance. "We still have to find the Shinzahos…which are buried under a lot of rubble," he said evenly. However much he disliked it, he had resigned himself to the fact that he was stuck with the Suzaku no Miko…for better or for worse.

Miaka glared at the back of his head, "You really know how to motivate people, you know that?" she asked sarcastically. She wondered whether Nakago realised that he had just used 'we' instead of 'you'. She decided not to point it out.

They picked up their pace, wanting to get to the city before sunrise.

Without warning, the sand around them lit up with an unearthly glow, and before either of them could really comment on the strange phenomenon, they were both blinded by a brilliant flash of light.

Gold eyes watched the two figures as they vanished, and a strange cackle drifted across the cool desert sands.

* * *

Miaka awakened to the sound of her alarm clock ringing. She shot up in bed…if she did not hurry, she would be late for school. She hastily pulled on her school uniform, grabbed her breakfast from the kitchen and dashed to the bus-stop.

Unfortunately for her, the bus driver seemed to take unholy glee in driving off just before she reached the bus. She sighed through a mouthful of bread.

"Good morning, Miaka," a tall handsome man greeted her, smiling indulgently. His dark hair had been tousled by the wind and his violet eyes were affectionate. "You're late…again."

"Mxdhwjdxefldy," Miaka replied intelligently.

The young man sighed patiently, "Talk or eat, not both at the same time." He rolled his eyes when Miaka chose to eat and began frantically stuffing her breakfast into her mouth. "Now we know what your priorities are…"

Miaka finished her bread and flung her arms around the man she knew as her boyfriend, "Ohayo, Taka!" she cried enthusiastically.

Taka Sukunami looked almost exactly like Tamahome. He had the same easy smile and gentle eyes. Miaka was sure that he was the reincarnation of the man she had fallen in love with in the Book of the Four Gods.

* * *

Nakago jerked awake suddenly, with an odd feeling which he could not place. He glanced over at the warm body on the bed beside him, tendrils of her long red hair trailing over his chest and arms. He scanned the room, but detected no intruder or anything out of the ordinary. So what was it that had awakened him? Why was he feeling this…unease that everything was not quite right?

"Nakago-sama?" Soi looked at him questioningly. His sudden movement had awakened her as well.

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep," he told her shortly. No need to alarm her unnecessarily.

She seemed more than happy to accept his words and snuggled against him, burying her beautiful heart-shaped face in his chest and pressing her naked body enticingly against his own. Gradually, her breathing slowed and evened out, indicating that she had fallen asleep again.

Idly, he lifted a lock of her hair, watching as he let the silky strands slip through his fingers. He felt restless, troubled…and it was not because of the fact that they were going to war with Konan soon. Suddenly the atmosphere in the room was stifling and the urge to get up and pace became too strong. He carefully disentangled himself from Soi's embrace and got out of bed without waking her.

He quietly and efficiently put on his clothes and donned his usual armour, draping the blue cloak over his shoulders. Then, the most unusual thing happened. As he tried to put his wristguard on his right arm, a searing pain shot up his arm. _I don't recalling getting any injury. _He examined his arm, but could see nothing wrong with it. Frowning, he tried again, only to experience the same pain. _What's going on?_ There was definitely something strange going on underfoot, and if there was one thing Nakago hated, it was not being able to figure out what it was. Clenching his fist, he slid the wristguard on despite the pain.

He prowled the corridors of the palace, ignoring the guards' startled gasps at his sudden appearance in the middle of the night. Turning into the hallway leading to Seiryuu's shrine, he pushed open the imposing double doors and stepped into the room that housed the magnificent golden statue of the dragon god.

Something nagged at the back of his mind. Something important, yet it remained elusive. Nakago stopped abruptly just inside the entrance of the shrine, sensing that he was not alone. The chi of the other person was familiar.

Tomo.

"Nakago-sama! What are you doing here?" The seishi turned around at the sound of Nakago's footsteps. The shogun noticed that for once, the other man was not wearing his usual garish make-up. Long black hair was gathered into a high ponytail. Nakago could never understand why Tomo always went around with makeup so thick that it threatened to crack whenever he let loose one of his demented sounding cackles.

_Crack? _Why did that thought seem so familiar? He did not like the way things seemed to be perfectly normal and yet…not. Nakago's patience was wearing dangerously thin, and an encounter with Tomo was the last thing he needed.

"Do I need a reason to be here?" he asked coldly, hiding his irritation.

The younger seishi shrunk back at his reply, lapsing into a nervous silence. Nakago ignored him and looked up at Seiryuu. The Seiryuu no Miko's first wish had been to seal Suzaku…they had been lucky that she had chosen to ignore her best friend's pleas and summoned the dragon god. If the Suzaku no Miko and her seishi had managed to win the Shinzahos, no doubt the first thing they would have done would be to seal Seiryuu…

Seal Seiryuu…

The problem was, Seiryuu had already been sealed. Soi was dead…And Tomo, by all rights, should have been dead as well. The painted freak had been killed in Sairo by Suboshi.

Nakago's eyes narrowed as the restraints on his mind fell away and all the memories came flooding back. Nothing here was real…it was all an elaborate illusion. The only thing he could trust himself to believe was the throbbing pain in his right arm where he had been attacked by the wolf. Everything suddenly became clear to him and he wondered why it had taken so long for him to realise it.

Now that he could see through the illusion, he could detect the slight discrepancy in Tomo's chi. It was Tomo, all right, but there was something else at the edges of the other seishi's chi which he had missed earlier…an unearthly power that was definitely not Tomo's own.

_Tenkou…_Nakago recognised the power for what it truly was. The deity had probably raised Tomo from the dead to prevent the Suzaku no Miko from succeeding in her mission. Even now, she was sure to be trapped in an illusion, just like he was.

He turned back to Tomo, a dangerous glint in his silver-blue eyes. He knew the wound on his arm was there, although he could not see it. Slowly he lifted his hand, flexing his fingers and feeling the reassuring pain from the injury. He could feel his power coursing through his body, and almost smiled in triumph.

Tomo had fabricated everything a little TOOperfectly. In order to provide realism to the whole charade, the other seishi had conveniently provided Nakago with his Seiryuu powers was well… _A very nice touch, Tomo. _

He stalked over to the long haired seishi, deliberately invading the other man's personal space.

"Na—Nakago-sama?" Tomo was getting nervous and took a step back. The blonde shogun was acting very strangely and Tomo suddenly felt as though he had just lost control of the situation. He had carried out Tenkou's orders, hadn't he? He had recreated everything perfectly…_There is absolutely no way that Nakago will see through my illusion! _he tried to reassure himself.

Pale blue eyes stared steadily into his own golden ones. Before Tomo could move, a hand shot out, locking around his throat and Nakago lifted him clean off the floor.

"Did you believe for a moment, that I would be fooled by your pathetic illusion?" Nakago watched in satisfaction as Tomo struggled to breathe, clawing at the hand around his throat.

The corners of the blonde shogun's lips lifted in a thin, chilly smile, "I don't like being deceived, Tomo," he said as he slowly tightened his grip. The blue 'Kokoro' appeared on Nakago's forehead and a split-second later, Tomo's body started exuding an intense blue glow.

Soon, there was nothing left of Tomo as his body completely disintegrated from the force of Nakago's chi.

Almost immediately, the surroundings began to ripple as the illusion started to break apart. The statue of Seiryuu, the walls of the shrine…everything faded away, leaving Nakago standing alone in the desert, a shattered clam shell at his feet.

* * *

Notes:

1) Okay...most of you will recognise the scene with Miaka meeting Taka at the bus-stop from the OVA. Before you go "Huh?", I assure you that I did put that in for a reason! Also, I took some other stuff from the OVA (ie, Tomo), pulped, ground, freeze-dried, and then reconstituted them. I toyed around with several ideas for this part...a few of which seemed too unbelievable for words. Remember that part in the OVA where Tamahome was trapped in an illusion where everyone called him "Nakago"? I thought of doing the same here, only in reverse. Then I realised that Nakago is too smart not to notice something out of place if everyone started insisting that he was "Tamahome"!

2) The time frame set in the illusion is supposed to make Nakago believe that Yui has just made her first wish to Seiryuu, and Kutou is about to go to war with Konan.

3) Er...There was a strong temptation to turn this scene into a lemon. Nakago and Soi do a lot more than just lie in bed, you know...but this IS a PG-13 fic. Sorry if I disappointed some of you hentai people out there!


	13. And The Truth Shall Set You Free

**Chapter 13: …And The Truth Shall Set You Free**

Miaka looked around in astonishment. For the briefest of moments, she could have sworn that everything had…rippled. She rubbed her eyes, but everything was back to normal again. _I must be imagining things, _she thought, shaking her head.

"Miaka!" Yui Hongo panted as she ran up to her, "I've been looking all over for you!"

Miaka smiled at her best friend. They had actually managed to pass the high school entrance exams together and go to the same high school. Miaka was glad she had gotten her best friend back…after all that had happened. A gust of wind lifted Yui's shoulder-length hair and Miaka got a glimpse of something affixed to the other girl's left earlobe. However, before she could say anything, it was again hidden from sight by Yui's hair.

The next instant, Miaka was distracted by thoughts of lunch as Yui suggested that they go to a nearby café to eat. Passer-bys were startled by a loud shout of "YESSSSSS!!" and the sight of an extremely happy-looking Miaka cheerfully dragging a patiently smiling Yui behind her.

Miaka was on her third bowl of noodles when she caught sight of it again. Yui had brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ears. Somehow, the sight of the earring raised disturbing questions which Miaka had not thought about up to now.

"Yui?" Miaka began tentatively, "That earring…is that…"

"It was Nakago's," Yui looked almost wistful, "In a way, we were both the same…he and I. I wear it to remember him and not make the same mistakes he made." There was a distant expression in her eyes, as though she was reliving a memory.

Miaka accepted Yui's explanation, yet there was something that had been bothering her. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to recall how the battle between Suzaku and Seiryuu ended. It must have ended with Suzaku's victory, or else she would not be here…but…

Why couldn't she remember?

"Yui…How did it all end?" she asked suddenly. At Yui's confused look, she tried again, "How did we win against Seiryuu? I…I don't remember…"

Yui's eyes were as wide as saucers, as if she could not believe what she was hearing. "Nani? How can you forget something like that? You summoned Suzaku and made a wish to seal Seiryuu. Tamahome and Nakago were fighting at that time…Nakago lost his powers and Tamahome killed him…" she trailed off, "Miaka…Are you all right?"

Miaka's head started to hurt as she tried to take it all in. _Tamahome…killed Nakago? _Why did that sound…wrong somehow? Words, images, thoughts, feelings swam through her head in a confused jumble, flashing by so fast that she was unable to make sense out of any of them. She felt dizzy, and had broken out in a cold sweat.

"Konnichiwa Yui-chan, Miaka…," Taka had appeared next to their table. "I thought I saw both of you from outside as I was passing by…Miaka are you okay?" He peered at her in concern.

"I'm…I don't know…" She managed to say just before she blacked out.

* * *

Nakago watched the scene playing out within the clam shell in his palm. He had found it no more than a few feet away from where he had been standing. Sure enough, the Suzaku no Miko was trapped inside an illusion. He could do nothing to free her…only she herself could do that. She had to see through the deception and break free on her own.

The trouble was, he was not sure whether she had enough willpower to do that…whether she would even want to leave. In the fantasy created by Tomo's shin, she was happy. She had all her friends and family around her…and she had Tamahome.

Or at least a version of Tamahome called Taka.

* * *

She woke up to find herself lying on her bed in her room, with a cool wet towel resting on her forehead and a bevy of concerned faces around her.

"You're awake!" Her brother, Keisuke announced in relief. "You had us worried there for a minute!"

"What happened, Miaka?" The soft question came from Taka, who had moved to take her hand in his own.

"How…how did I get here?" Miaka whispered through dry lips.

Yui rolled her eyes and blew air exasperatedly through thinned lips, "Taka carried you all the way back here!" Her expression became comical, "And guess who was left to pay the bill?"

"Gomen, Yui-chan…" She looked around at everyone, "I…I don't know what happened. I just felt dizzy suddenly and…blacked out, I guess. I'm sorry if I worried you, minna." She tried to remember what she had been thinking just before she had fainted. Something about fighting? No, it couldn't be…why on earth would she be thinking about something like that?

Keisuke began shooing everyone out, saying that Miaka needed to rest. Taka smiled kindly at her and pressing a gentle kiss to her palm, told her that he would be outside in the living room with the others if she needed anything. Miaka blushed and returned the smile, his gesture warming her heart.

She lay in bed alone, trying to figure out what was it that bothered her. Why had she fainted? Miaka frowned as she thought hard. _I was talking to Yui…I asked her a question…_She chewed on her lower lip in concentration.

_A question_ _about…_

Miaka slowly sat up as the memory of Yui's words came back to her. She had asked Yui how the last battle had ended because she had not been able to remember. She swung her legs off the bed and stood up, suddenly possessed by an idea.

She hurried over to her desk, pulling open the drawer where she kept her diary. Surely…Surely she would have recorded information as important as that inside? She flipped through the pages, almost tearing some of them in her haste. She came to the last entry complaining about having to study for the high school entrance exams, and then…nothing. The pages were completely blank.

There was no mention of the battle, Suzaku, Seiryuu, Tamahome or…or Taka. _How…How can this be?! _Miaka knew that she never missed writing in her diary at the end of every single day. Once again, she tried to recall what had happened after the battle.

With growing horror, she found that she could not even remember what had happened to Tamahome. Had Tamahome disappeared, absorbed back into the Book of the Four Gods? She was sure she would remember something like that. How had Taka come into the picture? When had she first met Taka? Where the memories should have been was a dark gaping void. Panic rose up, and she stumbled blindly to the door, knocking over a chair in the process.

The crash of the chair hitting the floor brought everyone rushing from the living room. They found Miaka standing in the doorway of her room, white knuckled hands clutching her diary. Her face was pale, as though she had just seen a ghost.

"Miaka?"

She slowly looked up at them, as though seeing them for the first time. Her wide, panicked eyes went from one person to the next, until they finally came to rest on the man she knew as Taka…or rather, the man she thought she had known.

Now that she really thought about it, she realised that she didn't know him at all. She didn't know where he lived, his favourite colour, favourite food…she didn't know anything about him. She realised that she had woken up one morning and there he was, her boyfriend. And she had just accepted it all at face-value. It was as if he had just popped into her life, and she had never bothered questioning just how she had come to know him.

The gaps in her memory, the sudden insertion of someone into her life, not being able to recall how he had appeared…

The last time something like this had happened was when…

When she had been trapped in Tomo's illusion.

_Is that it? Another illusion? _"None of this…is real," she stared hard at all of them. Keisuke, Yui, Tetsuya…and Taka, her supposed boyfriend. "Who are you really, Taka? How did we meet? How long have I known you?"

"Miaka, what—" Taka stammered.

"None. Of. This. Is. Real!" Miaka said more forcefully. She was becoming more and more convinced now that somewhere along the way, she had been sucked into a lie.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, everything started to distort, as though she was watching a television programme with bad reception. The walls seemed to ripple and fade…

…and Miaka found herself standing on the outskirts of the city of Sairo. She blinked in surprise at the abrupt switch of scenery. Nakago was leaning against the wall of a nearby building with his arms crossed, looking none too pleased. In the distance, the sun was just peeking out over the horizon.

"Took you long enough," he said somewhat gruffly.

* * *

Notes:

1) The title of this chapter is a continuation of the one in Chapter 12. It is the philosophy most law systems are based on and is a quote from the Bible. The full quotation is, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."


	14. Old Friends

**Chapter 14: Old Friends**

They were standing at the front door of a rather large house. Miaka lifted her hand and quickly knocked before she could change her mind. She was not sure if she had made the right choice, coming back to this place. There were too many memories…too many questions that were sure to be asked…

_But they deserve to know what happened_…

A voice called out from behind the door, and there was the sound of hurrying steps approaching. The large wooden door creaked open, and someone peered through the crack. Then just as suddenly, it was flung wide open. "Miaka!" Subaru stood in the doorway, delighted surprise in her eyes, before an instant later, she wrapped her arms around Miaka. "How are you?" the Byakko seishi asked warmly.

"I'm…okay, Subaru." Miaka smiled slightly and returned the hug, "It's nice of you to ask. How about you, Master Tokake and…" she hesitated, "and Shifeng?"

"Suzaku no Miko…what a surprise. We didn't expect to see you back here again," Tokake had appeared behind his wife. He looked and sounded as stern as she remembered, but she knew that under the harsh exterior lay a kind person.

"What a touching reunion. Is this really necessary?" The deep timbre of Nakago's scornful voice interrupted any reply Miaka might have made. In his opinion, they were wasting time on useless niceties and sentiment.

Both the Byakko seishi tensed as they finally noticed the person who had been standing a few metres behind Miaka.

"You!" Tokake growled, his fists clenched, as he recognised the unmistakable blonde hair. He stepped forward, as if to shield the two women, while at the same time, Subaru tried to pull Miaka further inside the house.

"Master Tokake! Stop! He's not the enemy…" The white haired man turned to her in surprise, Subaru gasped, and Nakago merely raised an eyebrow impassively.

"…not anymore," she whispered.

"But he's that Seiryuu bastard…" Tokake spluttered in disbelief. He glared again at the blonde man standing just outside the door. "Suzaku no Miko…" he said carefully, "Where is Tamahome?"

The girl stood silent for a moment, staring at the ground. Her hair hiding her eyes. "Tamahome is…Tamahome is dead," she choked out. She had not meant to make it sound so bald, but there was no other way to say it. Just like there was no way to lessen the agony which had resurfaced.

A single tear ran down her face and splashed onto the stone-paved ground.

* * *

"…I see…so that's what happened," Tokake said quietly. There was a sadness in his eyes; the same sadness was also etched into the lines of his face. He had been Tamahome's teacher, and had regarded the young Suzaku seishi as a son. He looked at Miaka's pale face, "Are you sure you can trust that man?" The Byakko seishi glanced over at Nakago through the window. The blonde shogun had opted to remain out in the front garden, wanting no part in the discussion.

Miaka shrugged, the small sigh she let out reflected the grief in her eyes, "He protected me and saved my life…more than once," she said tiredly.

_He also tried to kill you, more than once!_ Tokake thought darkly. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it. He could see what great emotional strain the Suzaku no Miko was under. Pursuing the issue would just cause her more distress. He decided to drop the subject and directly address the request she had presented them with.

"Suzaku no Miko, we will help you in any way we can," He looked over at his wife and she nodded her head in confirmation.

* * *

All that remained of the building where Seiryuu had been summoned was a veritable mountain of crumbled stone and bricks and a few pillars which had somehow survived the coming of the dragon god. Miaka's heart sunk at the sight. Even if they knew the exact spot where the Shinzahos were buried, they would have to move tons of rubble to get to them…and some of the pieces were huge, especially the broken beams which had once held up the ceiling.

She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "We'll find a way to do this!" Subaru whispered to her, before she moved to join her husband who was standing a little distance away.

She looked up, her eyes following Nakago as he picked his way across the chunks of broken masonry, searching for any evidence of the rooftop which had played host to the summoning of Seiryuu.

"Looks like you people could really use some help," a familiar voice said brightly behind Miaka.

She spun round at the sound of the well-loved voice, "Nuriko!!" she yelled, flinging herself at the violet haired figure.

Nuriko stroked Miaka's russet hair affectionately, folding her into a hug as the petite girl clung to him. "Hello, Miaka…It's good to see you too," the seishi smiled.

"But how…?" Miaka was confused. _How is it possible for Nuriko to be here? _If Nuriko was here…did that mean that the others…? Maybe, just maybe she had a chance of seeing Tamahome again…

"Chichiri and Fang Boy finally showed up at Mt. Taikyoku. All of us are there helping Taiitsukun. We all agreed we could spare me for a little while to come down and give you a hand…Nyan-Nyan was kind enough to lend me her body." Nuriko saw the tiny spark of hope that had ignited in her eyes fizzle out.

_So Nuriko came alone…._

"Miaka…I'm sorry about Tamahome," he said sympathetically, tightening his embrace. Seeing her like this was tearing at his heart. He loved Miaka like a little sister, and hated seeing her so sad. Sighing, he wished he could do something to help ease her pain.

"How…how is he?" Miaka asked softly, her hazel eyes clouded with tears.

Nuriko looked down at her thin, white face and gently wiped away the few tears which had managed to escape, "He appeared in front of the rest of us, fighting mad…and tried to pick a fight with Hotohori-sama, " he tried to make it seem as humorous as possible. _Anything to cheer her up…_

"…so I had to hurt him, just a little," he finished, hoping that he would succeed in making her smile. The purple-haired seishi squeezed her hand, "You have been so brave… and he's very proud of you, Miaka…we all are."

She did smile, even if it was just a small one. "Thank you, Nuriko…" she whispered, "I really needed to hear that." And she meant it. Nuriko always had a way of making her feel better, no matter what happened. Miaka could feel the dark shroud of depression dissipate slightly. Up till now, everything she had been seeing had been in dull shades of grey. It was almost as if the world, which had lost all its colour when Tamahome died was slowly returning to normal.

Nuriko turned as he sensed the approach of another person and realised who it was. He could not contain the big smile which had suddenly found its way across his face.

"Nakago," the seishi said with a toothy grin.

Nakago did not seem the least put out by the appearance of the spirit, "You must be the gay cross-dresser, Nuriko," he stated calmly, watching with amusement as the Suzaku seishi struggled, hissing and spitting, against the Miko's restraining hold; The seishi's hands were outstretched, as if to throttle him.

"Nuriko, stop!" Miaka said reproachfully while glaring at the blonde shogun.

The seishi sighed, "I know, I know…we've been watching you guys, remember? Still…" he turned an evil look on Nakago, "It's kind of hard to forgive the man who killed you," he said grouchily.

Nakago lifted one slender blonde eyebrow, "I didn't kill you. Ashitare did that."

"Same thing! You gave Wolf Boy the order! And you DID kill Hotohori-sama!" Nuriko retorted. He cracked his knuckles, stalking up to the former Seiryuu seishi. "If you hadn't saved Miaka's life, I'd kick your ass into next year." The purple-haired man suddenly stepped away, grinning evilly, "Tamahome still wants to kill you though, for what you did AFTER you rescued Miaka from the river…the whole undressing and sharing the same blanket incident really had him homicidal!"

Miaka blushed furiously from the roots of her hair right down to her toes. "NURIKO!!" she wailed in embarrassment. _Oh. My. God…OH MY GOD!! THEY ALL SAW THAT??_

Nuriko chuckled before turning back to Miaka, "Now come on, we'd better get started…I can't stay for long and we don't have all day!"

* * *

Nakago's calculations on where the two sacred artefacts were buried were confirmed by Subaru and Tokake. Being Byakko shichi seishi, they were able to sense the shinzaho belonging to Byakko no Miko when they came into close proximity to it.

Nuriko told everyone to stand clear, as he picked up the huge pieces of rubble and tossed them easily over his shoulder. Tokake and Subaru seemed amazed by the unexpected source of help, but were more than happy to accept it.

The Suzaku seishi grunted as he moved a gigantic pillar out of the way. His jewelled bangles transformed into wristguards, making the job easier. Giving it one last heave, the pillar rolled off to the side. Miaka sucked in a breath at the flash of something reflecting the sunlight among the dull grey stone and she scrambled forward to pick it up.

"We found it!" She yelled in excitement, holding it up for everyone to see. The small hand mirror which had belonged to Byakko no Miko was fully intact; the magical properties inherent in it had protected it from being destroyed when the building had collapsed.

_Finally…Finally we're making some headway…_Miaka thought. They were one step closer to stopping Tenkou.

"All right, the other one should be somewhere around here…" Nuriko muttered to himself. "Hey Blondie, any ideas?" he called out to the blonde man, "It's your fault that the Shinzahos are here, buried under all this rubble, you know."

The purple-haired seishi was rewarded with frosty stare, before Nakago completely ignored him. "Just asking! Geez! Who shoved an ice-cube up his ass?"

"Nuriko! Over here!" Miaka was standing with Tokake and Subaru.

Tokake looked up from his deep concentration at the Suzaku seishi's approach. He pointed at part of the collapsed ceiling, "I think I sense something under that…it's faint, but definitely there. It has to be the other shinzaho…there is nothing else around that has that kind of magical signature."

Nuriko nodded and began lifting the pieces of plaster, stone and wood, while smaller fragments, dislodged by the movement rained down on him. Unperturbed, he gave a particularly large section of the collapsed stonework a hard push. With a loud grating sound, it slid sideways. Nuriko squinted into the dark crevice underneath and stuck his hand in, feeling around for something.

Miaka watched anxiously as her friend reached into the small hole, hoping…_Please, please let it be here…_

Grinning triumphantly, Nuriko lifted his prize up to the sun. The highly polished metal glinted. "Here! Miaka, catch!" he yelled throwing the necklace to her.

Miaka started forward to catch the artefact, but she tripped over the loose rubble and would have badly scraped her hands and knees had it not been for Tokake catching her. A hand appeared above them, easily fielding the necklace in mid-flight.

"Could you possibly be any clumsier, Suzaku no Miko?" Nakago looked down at her with undisguised contempt. He inspected the necklace which the Genbu no Miko had worn during the summoning of Genbu. "I never expected to hold this again, " he commented dryly, before dropping it into Miaka's hands.

She glared at her blonde former-enemy, remembering the time he had been wearing it around his neck and she had tried to get it back from him. Without his armour, the way Nakago was dressed now reminded her uncomfortably of that horrible time. She quickly pushed the memory to the back of her mind.

"Miaka! I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" Nuriko had rushed to her side.

"I'm okay, Nuriko…just me being my ditzy self!" she said cheerfully. Holding the two shinzahos side by side, she could hardly believe that they had finally found them…A near impossible task had been made possible by the combined efforts of Byakko's people as well as all her own seishi. It was because of them… Hotohori, Chiriko, Mitsukake, Tasuki, Chichiri…and Tamahome, that Nuriko had been able to come and help her.

Her friend looked relieved that she was unhurt. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he reached inside his tunic, "I almost forgot! Taiitsukun said to give this to you…It will help guide you to the amulet." Nuriko handed something that looked like a small crystal sphere to Miaka.

"Nuriko…" she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes, "Thank you, all of you. Tell them…" she searched for the appropriate words.

"I know…I'll tell them that you said hello," the seishi winked at her, "It was good to talk to you again, Miaka…" Nuriko scooped her into one last bear hug, "Always believe in yourself, and never ever lose hope. We all have faith in you…and Tamahome loves you always."

Having said that, the purple-haired Suzaku seishi disappeared.


	15. Ghosts of the Past

**Chapter 15: Ghosts of the Past**

"_Most people are on the world, not in it —have no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them—undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate."_

--John Muir

They departed from Sairo at dusk, taking advantage of the cool night to travel through the desert. Miaka had bade farewell to Subaru and Tokake, taking their words of encouragement to heart. She promised them that she would not give up, no matter what happened.

As they journeyed further away from Sairo, she could not help noticing how the desert gave way to lush plains and gently rolling green hills. The land was as fertile as the desert was barren. Another thing that was hard to miss was how Nakago seemed to become impossibly more distant and more reticent the more the landscape changed. The pace he set was fast and unforgiving, forcing her to have to run at times to keep up with him. Before, the conversation between them had been restricted to bare necessity and most often, to insulting each other, but at least they had talked. Now, Nakago seemed bent on ignoring her, and her attempts to strike up a conversation inevitably failed miserably.

He had not even made any derogatory comments when she'd done up her hair in her old odango style. He hadn't even seemed to notice. That in itself, was disconcerting. The blonde shogun had never missed an opportunity to insult her.

The strangest thing was, Miaka could almost feel the icy waves of cold indifference emanating from him. And his eyes, which had been a pale, flinty blue in all the time she had known him had turned almost completely silver-grey…

It had been a week since they had entered this land of undulating hills and deep valleys. _A week since Nakago has built an igloo around himself and forgot to put in the entrance, _she thought with acidic humour. She was getting tired having to be so close to a walking freezer.

It was almost sunset when Nakago finally halted to look around. In fact, he stopped so abruptly that Miaka almost ran into his back. It seemed as if he was searching for something, and she watched in confusion as he suddenly turned off the main path onto a side trail. In typical fashion, he did not offer any explanation for his actions.

The trail was so overgrown with plants that it was almost unnoticeable. It was obvious that no one had gone that way for years. Miaka was sure that she would have missed it had it not been for Nakago. She heaved a sigh, and realised that she had little choice but to follow him. Wearily, she trudged after him.

She was exhausted. _Where does this damned trail lead? If Nakago thinks that he can just disappear on me he's got another thing coming…_She thought irritably as she forcefully shoved plant foliage out of her way…

…and stepped out onto a cliff.

All around her was a breathtaking view of the landscape. The sun was already dipping low on the horizon, bathing the valley below in warm liquid gold light. "Kirei…" she breathed in awe, her voice hushed.

Nakago stood with his back to her, ostensibly watching the sunset.

He had known that she would follow him without question…had heard her gasp of admiration at the magnificent view. Beautiful…she had whispered.

A breeze wafted gently past them, ruffling his blonde hair and he closed his eyes briefly, allowing himself to enjoy the feel of the cool air against his skin. This place held too many memories…and he had not wanted to come back here. _Fourteen years…_This was where the nightmare had began, fourteen years ago.

"What Chichiri said before, about the Hin…it was true, wasn't it?" Miaka asked suddenly. She remembered Chichiri questioning Nakago just before the summoning of Seiryuu. She had finally managed to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and it all started to make sense now…Nakago's cold silence, the complete lack of any emotion ever since they had set foot here.

She stepped forward, until she drew level with him, "This is where it all happened, isn't it?" Her voice was sober.

The wind rose a notch, whistling around them.

He remained rigidly silent, but she knew that he had heard her. His only response was the abrupt tightening of a fist. Miaka didn't think it was humanly possible, but his expression became even colder than before. The temperature around them felt as if it had dropped below freezing point.

And she was getting more and more pissed off by the second. _The stubborn jerk! Who does he think he is?_

"Why?" she demanded, unable to contain herself any longer. Turning her head to glare angrily at the blonde man, she let loose. "Why won't you tell anyone? How long do you think you can keep everything inside before you explode? Or go crazy?" Her mouth pressed into a grim line, "Oh wait…you're already crazy."

"Insulting me won't get you anywhere," he said blandly. "Don't you know it is unwise to annoy someone when you are standing so close to the edge of a cliff?"

She ignored his not-so-subtle threat and let out an extremely unladylike snort, but didn't push the issue. It was useless trying to force anything out of him. It was like trying to get blood out of a stone. He would tell her only if he wanted to, and in his own good time. Despite everything, she was concerned about him. _Heck, I even did my hair up in odangos just to try to get a reaction out of him, _she thought with bitter irony. She wondered when she had started actually caring about her arch enemy. She frowned, trying to pinpoint the exact moment she had stopped hating him…

"Fourteen years ago, Kutou's soldiers attacked this place," the sound jerked her back to the present, "They killed everyone; friends, family…" he smiled mirthlessly, "Yes, I used to have a normal life." Not waiting for a response, he continued, "And I watched them all die."

He stared into the distance, his eyes glazing over as he relived the memory. He wasn't sure why he was even telling her anything, just that something compelled him to trust her. "I saw them raping my mother. It was then that Seiryuu's power awakened, and I killed all of them…including her."

His voice flat as he spoke. Flat and dead, as though he was relating something that had happened to someone else. He told the story as if it was nothing more than a fact, or something he had heard from a friend of a friend who had known someone who'd read about it.

Miaka was horrified, finally realising for the first time, the extent of pain and suffering he had seen and endured. To watch his own mother screaming for help as brutal soldiers did unmentionable things to her…He'd accidentally killed her while trying to protect her. _Dear god…I had no idea…It must have been horrible for a child to go through all that. So dreadful…_

She could almost understand why he had locked away all his emotions…why he had turned out the way he was. The words he had said to her by the river came back to her.

_You think you're the only one who has experienced loss?_

She finally knew what he had meant. He had been talking about himself.

* * *

Yui slowly came back to consciousness. Opening her eyes, she saw Tetsuya sitting next to her, looking at her with relief.

"Yui-chan! How are you feeling?"

The girl frowned slightly, taking inventory of her own condition. Except for the bone-deep weariness, she felt perfectly fine. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she remembered making her last wish to Seiryuu… being absorbed by the sacred beast…Miaka making a wish to get her back from the dragon…"Miaka! Where is Miaka?" She tried to stand up, but her knees felt wobbly.

Tetsuya quickly moved to support her, "Whoa! Hold on a second! You're not fully recovered!" Gently, he pushed her back down onto the bed. At that moment, Keisuke entered the room, holding a very familiar looking book.

Yui recognised it at once. The Book of the Four Gods. She noticed the strange expressions on both Keisuke's and Tetsuya's faces. With growing trepidation, she asked, "What happened to Miaka?"

Miaka's older brother sighed, exhaustion evident in his voice, "She was absorbed back into the Shijintenchisho."

"What?! But…" Yui was at a loss for words.

Tetsuya took her hand, squeezing it. "And that's not all, Yui…Tamahome is dead."

"Tamahome…is dead?" Yui lifted a trembling hand to her lips, her eyes filling with tears, "Oh no…Poor Miaka! How did this happen? Did Nakago…kill him?" she whispered.

Keisuke shook his head, "Iie, the blonde bastard didn't kill Tamahome. Miaka sealed Seiryuu, then used her last wish to repair all the damage caused to this world. After that, everyone was sucked back into the universe of the Four Gods. There's a new enemy called Tenkou and Miaka must summon Suzaku again to stop him. What's more, Miaka is with Nakago, he actually saved her life…" he said tightly, as if he still did not believe it.

"She's with NAKAGO??" her voice was incredulous. _But Nakago tried to kill her! He wanted to destroy all of us! _"That's…That's impossible! He'll kill her!"

Tetsuya did not say anything, but handed Yui the Book of the Four Gods. With shaking hands, she opened it. Words were still appearing on the blank pages. Slowly, she read them out aloud as they became visible.

"…the man that Seiryuu no Miko met in Kutou; the man whom Tamahome fought against in the Miko's world, was not even a half of a man…He was but a shadow of a person with a shattered soul. Yet, the wheels of fate are turning and things are changing. With every turn of a page and the passing of time, the ice is melting, a little at a time…"

* * *

Miaka caught sight of his eyes and shivered involuntarily. There were no tears…no feelings. She felt as though she was looking into the eyes of a corpse. They were as cold and dead as the bleakest, most barren winter landscape. They weren't even blue anymore.

He stared down at the dizzying drop where the ground ended just inches from his feet, lips curling into a bitter smirk. "Don't waste your tears, Suzaku no Miko. I neither need nor want your pity." The words came out harsh and clipped.

Tears…? She had not even realised that she was crying, but the tears were trickling down her face in a steady stream. She was taken aback by his words. _Pity? No…not pity…_What she felt was compassion. Maybe even sympathy. But never pity. Why did he think that she would pity him? If anything, she felt the exact opposite. The loss of each and every one of her own seishi had hurt immensely. Losing Tamahome had almost killed her, and she tried not to think about it.

Morbid as it sounded, at least she'd had time inbetween each loss to recover. But Nakago…

He had lost everything in one devastating moment. Everything he had ever known…and everyone he had ever cared about. If she had been in his place, she knew with terrifying certainty that she would not have survived such a thing.

"How can you be so indifferent to all this? How can you be so cold?"

He ignored her, instead focusing his eyes on some invisible point on the distant horizon. She did not need to be psychic to know that he considered the discussion closed. Her faintly accusing questions hung in the air between them, as she turned her attention back to the setting sun. The sunset had painted the sky a dazzling pink-gold. In the distance, she could just make out a meandering river, glistening like a silver ribbon.

_How could such a beautiful place harbour such a dark past?_

Miaka imagined a race of people who must have lived here, all of whom possessed golden hair and blue eyes. The women, like the landscape, would surely have been breathtakingly beautiful, and the men would have been dashingly handsome…if Nakago was any indication.

Nakago had been a part of this beauty once, but fate and circumstance had taken an innocent boy and turned him into a man twisted by revenge, pain and hate.

_It isn't fair! A whole race of people, just destroyed in the whim of an insane emperor…_What saddened her the most was that the only living legacy that the Hin had left behind was a man so cold that he might well have been a statue carved from marble with a block of ice for a heart.

She wondered if there had ever been a time when he had been truly happy.

_There must have been…before the soldiers came. A long time ago…_

She took a step forward, until she was standing right on the edge of the precipice. She drew in a deep breath, committing every detail she saw to memory. She felt even more determined than ever that no one else should suffer. This world, its people had seen enough pain to last an eternity. Maybe two. The people deserved some peace and happiness. _Tenkou will not win, I swear it. _Her eyes glittered with the force of her conviction.

Miaka turned slowly back to face him, noting how the light had streaked his pale blonde hair with orange and rose highlights. It cast shadows over his face, softening the hard planes, making him look younger, almost…angelic.

She blinked. It was only an illusion caused by the quickly fading light. Like the land, the physical scars had healed, leaving no trace of the abuse, but the emotional scars…

She lifted her head, firmly meeting his wintry gaze. The wind dried the remnants of her tears.

"I've never pitied you, Nakago. Not for a moment. Pity is only for those who deserve it. I don't think you deserve to be pitied…do you?" A trace of a challenge. Her voice was firm, resolute. It wasn't Miaka Yuuki speaking…it was the Priestess of Suzaku.

She paused briefly, her eyes softening. "This place really is beautiful. Thank you…for showing me this."

…_And thank you for letting me see a part of your past._

She brushed past him, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Nakago stood unmoving as he considered the Suzaku no Miko's words. To anyone else, what she had said would have sounded unforgiving and uncaring, but he recognised the true meaning behind them.

He had told her that he hadn't wanted her pity…

She was telling him that her knowledge of his past would not cause her to treat him or look at him any differently. The tears he had seen…hadn't been out of pity.

Once again, he had sorely misjudged her.

He felt…different. Not exactly better, but it felt as if a part of him which he had not even known he'd possessed had been laid to rest. The bitterness which had become his constant companion was still there, of course. It would always be there, having become so firmly ingrained in his psyche that he wasn't sure if he could live without its presence.

_You're really twisted, you know that? _His annoying mental voice remarked in the most acerbic tone he had ever heard…or more precisely, thought.

_Self-deprecation at its best, _Nakago thought fatalistically. _That's what you get when your own mind starts insulting you._

The sun had almost completely set now. He remembered how he used to watch the sunsets on this very cliff with his mother. That had been in another time. In another life.

_Are you watching this sunset 'Kaasan? I remember how you used to love them…Do they look different from heaven? _A tiny voice at the back of his mind whispered before he could clamp down on it or even acknowledge it.

Fourteen years was a long time, and memories had dimmed. He could barely recall how his mother's voice had sounded as she had sung him to sleep. He could not remember what the other boys he had once played with looked like. He had let go of so many memories over the years…had willed himself not to think of so many things.

He had forgotten so much…

…including how beautiful the sunsets here could be.

* * *

He did not have much trouble finding her. All he had to do was follow the sound of her voice.

She was on her knees, trying to kindle a fire…and failing, apparently, if the way she was glowering at the small pile of dry tinder was any indication. Nakago was almost surprised to see that the wood had not spontaneously combusted at the intensity of her glare, or at least melted from the array of unrepeatable epithets she was directing at it.

She did not notice his approach as she let loose another string of less-than-polite phrases under her breath.

"I don't think you can do that to a cat, especially when it's hung upside down. Really, Suzaku no Miko, your fluency at colourful language astonishes me. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" he interjected from behind her.

She jumped at the unexpected sound of his voice, her head whipping around to glare at him instead of at the wood. Miaka valiantly fought the urge to growl something which involved the smirking blonde man standing behind her, a hot poker and a very intimate place where he was unlikely to ever get a suntan. He met her glare with an air of cool amusement.

She watched as he effortlessly started a fire. _Damn the man. He makes everything seem so easy. _It left her feeling very stupid. She had noticed the difference in his attitude the moment he had spoken. He was back to being cold and obnoxious as opposed to cold and indifferent. She wasn't sure what exactly had changed or whether it was a good thing.

Sighing, she buried her face in her hands. _What have I done to deserve this? Yui was lucky. At least she didn't have to put up with a world-class jerk… _

She wondered whether there would ever come a day when Nakago would actually be nice to her. _Yeah right, and pigs will learn to fly. 'NICE' probably isn't in his vocabulary. _She rolled her eyes. The chances of the blonde shogun being nice to her were equivalent to the chances of Miaka being the top student in her class at school.

In other words, never.

* * *

Notes:

1) Oh man...writing this chapter was exhausting. Waaaaay too serious in my opinion, so I decided to insert that little scene at the end. Usually I try to inject as much humour as I can into the story...writing serious stuff makes me sleepy...and I type really weird things when I'm sleepy. You'll see what I mean when you read the next few chapters! Consider yourself forewarned...

2) This chapter is a turning point in the way Nakago and Miaka interact with each other. They become more comfortable with each other's company. Not that Nakago will start actually being NICE to the Suzaku no Miko. Not a chance. : :Evil cackle: : He's still gonna be his wonderful evil self, and it's going to drive Miaka up the wall. Verbal warfare and humorous situations abound.


	16. Looking Back, No Regrets

**Chapter 16: Looking Back, No Regrets**

Miaka almost jumped for joy when they reached the outskirts of a reasonably large town. She had not seen another human being in days, save for Nakago…and HE wasn't even good company. Half of the time he ignored her, and the other half of the time, she found herself on the receiving end of his verbal jabs and taunts. She was sure he did it to amuse himself. _I swear he enjoys making me angry! Well I'm glad one of us finds this entertaining, _she thought darkly. Her hair hung loose again, after she had been subjected to another 'Odango Atama' comment. She had wanted to get back at him for that, with say, a swift kick to the groin.

They walked down a crowded street. All around them were people going about their daily business. There were merchants and traders selling their wares, and people were smiling, talking to each other, laughing…

Miaka smiled, soaking in the busy, friendly atmosphere. How she had missed all this. It had been like this in Konan during the star-gazing festival, but that had seemed like such a long time ago. She turned to the blonde man beside her. He appeared to be momentarily distracted, something in one of the alleys off to the side having caught his attention.

She stared at him, wondering what he was up to. Without warning, Nakago directed his gaze back to her with unnerving suddenness. "Stay here," he told her brusquely, and disappeared into the crowd before she could ask any questions. No small feat, since six foot blondes as a rule did NOT blend in easily with the general populace.

And as usual, he had gone off without a word of explanation. _This is getting old really fast…_she ground her teeth together in annoyance. Seeing that she was in a strange town alone, all she could do was to wait for him to return. Heaving a sigh of resignation, she sat down on some steps to watch the people passing by.

She was counting the two-hundred-and-fifty-seventh person who had passed her when a familiar pair of boots appeared in her field of vision. Nakago was back, and he was holding a leather bag in one hand.

"What is that?" The wait had not done much to improve her mood.

He held the bag open briefly, letting her see its contents. Miaka's eyes widened at the number of gold and silver coins inside.

"Where exactly did you get all that money?" she glared at him suspiciously. "You didn't steal it from someone, did you?" she asked slowly, her eyes narrowing, watching him carefully.

He regarded her with studied nonchalance, but by now she had spent enough time around him to be able to read his non-expressions.

"You did!" she groaned throwing her hands up in exasperation, "Great! Just wonderful! We're criminals now!"

"Could you say that a little louder, Suzaku no Miko? I don't think they heard you in Konan-koku."

"We can't have that, can we? Since we're now PARTNERS IN CRIME!" she hissed sarcastically. His only response to her accusations was to cock an eyebrow at her, which infuriated her to no end. "Aargh! You're impossible!" she gave him the evil eye before burying her face in her hands.

"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't exactly steal it," he told her calmly.

Her head snapped up, and she stared at him with renewed suspicion. "What do you mean by 'didn't exactly'?" She was starting to get a really bad feeling about this, and Nakago's laconic nature wasn't helping matters.

"I took it from some thugs who stole it from someone else."

He sounded so calm, so rational, so…innocent?

"You ROBBED the robbers??" she almost shrieked, and would have, had it not been for the strange looks some of the passerbys were giving her.

He shrugged casually, as if what he had just done was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Two wrongs DO NOT make a right!" she snapped at him, "Don't ask me why it's wrong…it just is!" She shot him a withering look, "And I don't even want to know how your twisted mind rationalised it!"

He smirked at her, further grating on her nerves, "Would you rather sleep on the street tonight, Miko-_sama?" _he inquired smoothly with deliberate politeness.

That took all the wind right out of her sails, and she deflated instantly. "No…" she muttered grudgingly. She hated it when he was right. It was irritating, the way he could read her like an open book.

"I didn't think so," he walked past her, repressing the urge to pat her on the head in a condescending manner. In her current mood, she was likely to bite if he tried it. He rather liked his fingers attached as they were.

"I still think it's wrong…" she glared at him once more, "Some of us prefer to be HONEST in the way we go about doing things! Do you even KNOW what that word means?"

_She doesn't give up, does she?_

Nakago decided to humour her, "How would you have gone about earning money then, Suzaku no Miko?" he drawled.

She faltered at his unexpected question, "I…ah…" she looked around, desperately searching for inspiration. "I could serve people! Like those ladies over there!" she gestured towards the women working at an inn nearby.

She sensed the change in him the second the words left her mouth. A strange expression flitted through his eyes, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. When he finally did speak, the absolute lack of emotion in his voice made her shiver.

"You really have no idea, do you, Miko?" he said slowly, his eyes hard and cold as chips of arctic ice.

She stared at him in confusion, not having the slightest clue as to what he was referring to. "N-Nani?" she stammered nervously.

He bent down so that his face was level with hers. "Those 'Ladies' ,as you so kindly call them, don't just serve their customers food and drink," he said softly, "They also serve their customers'…other needs."

Miaka paled as she realised what he meant.

He gave her a thin smile. It was as cold and cruel as the one he had given her on that awful night in Hokkan, when he had tricked her. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the icy chill which seemed to have enveloped her. She looked away uncomfortably.

With uncanny timing, the crowds parted, revealing someone standing with his back facing her, on the opposite side of the street. His height, his build…right down to the unruly dark blue-green hair…

"Tamahome…" she whispered almost inaudibly as all the colour drained from her face.

The man turned. Perhaps he had felt someone staring at him. Or perhaps he had merely finished transacting whatever business he had with the merchant at the stall. His face bore no resemblance to the handsome Suzaku seishi whom she still loved and who still haunted her dreams.

* * *

Miaka picked at her food, pushing it around her plate instead of eating it, which was extremely unusual…and disquieting. Her actions disturbed him for reasons Nakago chose not to analyse too closely.

The Suzaku no Miko was pale…too pale to be considered healthy, but pale was an improvement from the stark white she had been, standing there in the street.

She had not uttered a word since then. Her wide, empty, crestfallen and confused gaze had persisted long after the man had turned around and walked off. She looked like a lost sheep, and it was starting to annoy him.

"Suzaku no Miko, your food is going to get up and run away if you keep poking at it," he said in a low voice. The table they were sitting at was fairly isolated, but he did not want to take the chance of their conversation being overheard.

She looked up blankly at the sound of his voice, staring at him for a few seconds before the meaning of his words sank in. She blushed lightly but could not help cracking a tiny smile at the mental image his observation had produced.

"I…" she stopped torturing her food and pushed the plate away, "I was just thinking…that's all."

"About Tamahome. " It wasn't a question.

She nodded slowly, her eyes dark and full of pain. She braced herself for one of Nakago's cutting remarks about how foolish she was or how useless it was to cry over spilt sake.

The caustic comment she expected never came.

Instead his silver-blue eyes seemed to hold her in a gaze that was disconcerting in the way it seemed to look right into her soul. "You know that he is always watching over you. The fool would move heaven and earth to be by your side if he could." As usual, Nakago had tossed out the words in his unconcerned and bordering-on-insensitive manner, managing to insult Tamahome in the process, but…

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Nakago." She looked at him in startled surprise, "Thank you."

The pain was still there, and she did not know whether the grief would ever go away, but it somehow felt more manageable now. Tamahome had promised to watch over her. He had not broken his promise, she realised, and he _was_ still watching over her. She focused on all the good times she had shared with him instead of dwelling solely on his death, and found that it did not hurt anymore when she thought of him.

_I was so lucky to meet Tamahome…to have been able to get to know him and all the others. _Miaka smiled to herself. Looking back, she had no regrets ever falling in love with Tamahome. She would always hold him in a special place in her heart. A place that would forever belong to him, and no one else.

_If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger. _And she would be strong. For Tamahome. For everyone. Strong enough to fulfill her promise to him. She would stop Tenkou…if it was the last thing she did.

Nakago could feel the change in her chi field. It had become more stable…with a wry sense of peace she had lacked before. Even her eyes had changed, regaining some of their old fire. Of course, the sadness that had been so prevalent throughout her entire being was still there, but it no longer was a dominating force.

The Suzaku no Miko had finally come to terms with her grief, facing down her own demons…and she had won.

* * *

Notes:

1) For those of you familiar with Rurouni Kenshin, you'll recognise the scene I sort of borrowed... Remember the first time Kenshin meets Misao on the road to Kyotoduring the Shishio arc? Kenshin also tells Misao that stealing from thieves is wrong, even if the money did not belong to them!

2) Nakago was thinking about the predicament Soi was in before he rescued her when Miaka tells him how she's going to earn money...hence the sudden change of mood.

3) And yes, I believe that Nakago is capable of random acts of kindness, contrary to popular belief... he just hides them behind all the insults. Miaka purges one of her demons in this chapter, finally getting over all the grief she has stashed away. Up until now, she has avoided thinking about Tamahome because it's just too painful for her.


	17. Wedding Night Jitters

**Chapter 17: Wedding Night Jitters**

"You told them _WHAT_??" she stared at him incredulously, as if he had just sprouted a third arm. While she had been busy finishing her meal, Nakago had been making arrangements for them to spend the night at the inn.

"I told them you were my wife," he repeated matter-of-factly. He said it the same way other people might talk about the weather…with that unflappable calmness which made his announcement seem like the most normal thing in the world.

She turned scarlet, whether from anger or embarrassment, he couldn't tell. _Mostly the latter and probably a great deal of the former._

"Why?" she spluttered, not knowing how to respond to his statement. _This has GOT to be a joke…and a really bad one at that. Look, it's not even funny and I'm not laughing… _

The corners of his lips twitched in amusement, "Purely for your benefit, Suzaku no Miko. You seem to attracted some rather undesirable attention. Had I not said that, chances are that you would be down there 'serving' those customers right now. Didn't you notice the way the proprietor was looking at you?" He did not mention the lascivious looks various male patrons had directed at her. The short uniform skirt she was wearing had only served to compound the problem.

"H…Hai," she turned an even darker red.

_The arrogant jerk! He's enjoying this! _However, whether she liked it or not, Nakago had a point. The inn's greasy-looking proprietor and his equally slimy-looking wife had been staring at her with the kind of gaze which could only be described as that of vultures eyeing a carcass…And Miaka would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to have noticed all the hentai stares some of the male patrons had given her.

"Couldn't you have said that I was your sister?" she asked weakly.

"Do you think that would have stopped them?" he smirked, "Besides, how am I supposed to explain why we look so different?"

"Different mothers?" she whispered in a tiny voice, wishing that the ground would just open up under her feet and swallow her.

Her former enemy stared at her with an expression that was as close to surprise as she'd ever seen on him and then…

_Nakago, don't you even DARE…_she thought darkly.

…he started laughing.

He had not found anything so funny since…well, since never. It was strange how the Suzaku no Miko could provoke genuine amusement in him without even meaning to. Aware that she was glaring daggers of death at him lethal enough to leave him on the floor minus a heartbeat, he schooled his features back into his usual unperturbed expression.

Lifting his eyebrows at her, "I didn't know you had it in you, Suzaku no Miko," he commented dryly, exerting a tremendous amount of control just to keep his facial muscles from twitching.

She stamped her foot, not caring if it made her look childish. Her delicate features took on a mulish cast, "YOU!" She resisted the urge to show him an obscene gesture involving her third finger, and settled for jabbing her index finger at him, "DON'T LAUGH AT ME!!"

She had been surprised by his uncharacteristic outburst. It was undoubtedly the most emotion she had ever seen him display. Although she pretended to be angry to keep up appearances and to cover her own embarrassment, she was actually glad she had been able to make him laugh, unintentional as it may have been.

True, the laughter had sounded strange…rusty and unused, as if he had almost forgotten how to laugh. _How long has it been…since he last truly laughed at anything?_

Watching him laugh, she had noticed something odd. For one brief moment, his eyes had changed colour. Instead of the flinty, glacial silver-blue she had grown accustomed to, they had been an intensely clear sapphire blue…like the sky on a cloudless summer day. She blinked, and it was gone, making her wonder if she had imagined it all.

_Must have been a trick of light, _she decided and dismissed it.

"Fine! Have fun at my expense. See if I care," Miaka grumbled as she moved past him to enter the room assigned to them.

He shot her one of his patented smirks before executing a perfect half bow with a flourish. The exaggerated formality of the gesture served to mock her, earning him another venomous look from her as he had known it would.

"After you, dear wife."

* * *

They had a problem. A really BIG problem.

"NO WAY!!" She shook her head violently for emphasis, "There is NO WAY I'm sharing a bed with YOU!" she made a face at him. "YOU are going to sleep somewhere else!"

Nakago folded his arms across his chest and regarded her with mild amusement, "I'm not going anywhere, Suzaku no Miko. You forget, I paid for this room AND the bed. Besides," he directed a slow predatory smile at her, "You are supposed to be my wife…and it is not like we haven't slept together before."

She promptly turned six different shades of red, each one more bright than the last. "Don't say that, you hentai!" she hissed, "And as for paying for the room, the money didn't belong to you!" Miaka would be damned if she let him forget that she still wholly disapproved of his earlier actions.

"Can't you just be a gentleman for once and…HENTAIIII!!"

While she had been talking, he'd completely ignored her and had started to take off his shirt. Tossing it carelessly over a nearby chair, he spared her one last sidelong glance full of arrogant disregard and climbed into the bed.

Miaka took one look at his sculpted, nakedchest and hastily turned her back. _OH MY GOD! HE IS TRYING TO GIVE ME A CORONARY! _It galled her to admit it, but anyone with eyes could see that Nakago, jerk extraordinaire, was exceedingly handsome, and anything that was vaguely female would swoon over him…

_Probably some things that WEREN"T female as well…_she thought nastily. Not that she could really blame them actually, anyone would drool over Nakago's--

_URGH!! WHAT AM I THINKING?? _Miaka mentally screeched at herself, utterly horrified at the direction her thoughts had been taking her. _Think other thoughts. ANY other thoughts! _She told herself, fighting down hysteria. _Er…let's see…YUI!! That's it, think of Yui! I wonder how she is. Hope she's all right…She should be, Oniichan and Tetsuya will take care of her…Erm…ENTRANCE EXAM! I really need to study if I'm gonna pass! Studying! Chiriko was good at studying! Nuriko, Tasuki, HotohoriTamahomeChichiriMitsukakeTamahomeTamahomeTamahomeTAMAHOME…_

She chanted Tamahome's name, repeating it over and over in her mind like a mantra to keep any unhealthy thoughts of the insufferably smug handsome blonde shogun at bay. Scowling even more fiercely, she marched to the table in the centre of the room and proceeded to violently seat herself on one of the hard chairs with so much force that it jarred every bone in her body.

_Damn the conceited jerk for corrupting my mind like this! _She sat stiffly on the chair, fuming silently.

"Are you going to sit there all night and sulk?" he asked airily, interrupting her train of thought.

"Yes!"

"Suit yourself."

She heard him stretch languorously and settle back against the soft mattress. She gritted her teeth and imagined closing her hands around his throat and squeezing until he turned the same colour as his eyes. She began formulating a slightly modified riddle in her mind, cackling evilly at the morbid humour.

_How do you kill a blue elephant? _

_Answer: You shoot it with a blue elephant gun. _

_How do you kill Nakago?_

_Answer: You wrap your hands around his throat until he turns blue and then shoot him with a blue elephant gun…It'll hurt a lot more than a normal gun…_

"Jerk," she muttered, "I hope the bakemono under the bed gets you!"

"Good night to you too, dear wife," his mocking voice floated to her from the bed.

* * *

She jerked awake with a start, her mouth open, ready to scream bloody murder when a hand closed around her arm. However, before she could even utter a squeak, another hand clamped over her mouth.

"Be quiet, Suzaku no Miko," a familiar voice warned.

She subsided, and when it became clear that she wasn't going to scream the house down, he withdrew his hands. Glaring at him through bleary eyes, "What do you want? You just took three years off my life by scaring me like that!!" she snapped in a furious whisper. She needed her sleep, and she did not take kindly to people waking her up at an ungodly hour in the middle of the night…least of all egoistic blonde men who had no sense of chivalry whatsoever.

In the flickering light of the single lamp, she noticed that his eyebrows were drawn together in a slight frown. _He's worried? _Anything that could actually make the blonde shogun worried had to be serious.

"Someone's coming," he informed her in a low voice.

She gave him a look of mute confusion.

Without warning, he muttered something which sounded suspiciously like a growl. It was low, guttural and it wasn't in any language she recognised. However, she did not need to actually understand what he said to figure out the basic meaning behind the words...Swearing sounded remarkably the same in every language.

"Huh? Wha-"

Her words were cut off as he abruptly yanked her across the room to the bed and unceremoniously dumped her onto the mattress…

…right before he flung himself on top of her.

* * *

She was crushed under the weight of his body, too stunned by the entire turn of events to do anything. They were plastered together like paint to a wall. The realisation that this was Nakago whom she was plastered against snapped her back to reality.

She tried to push him off her, but he would not budge. To her horror, she discovered that all she had succeeded in doing was to increase the intimate contact between them as her hands were now splayed across the smooth expanse of naked skin on his chest.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed in panic, even as her mind kicked into overdrive. This had to be a really twisted nightmare where she was being pinned down on a bed by her half-naked former worst enemy. _Nooooooo…This is NOT happening! Nakago is NOT lying on top of me! OH MY GOD, OHMYGOD…! _Her heart pounded in her ears.

Nakago looked down at her, their faces an inch apart.

"I don't think they believed me," he murmured cryptically, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she was about to have a heart attack.

"They? They who?" She stared up at him as if he'd lost his mind. She had managed to get her leg free, but the movement only made the hem of her already short skirt ride up even higher. Miaka gasped as the sensitive skin of her bare thigh brushed against his hip.

"The proprietor and his wife," a corner of his mouth curled up in a lopsided smirk, "They're coming to check if we're really married." It was hard to miss the wry amusement in his voice at the predicament they had suddenly found themselves caught in.

Her eyes widened until they were impossibly huge. It was only then that she heard the telltale creak of the floorboards outside the door. Someone was definitely snooping around outside.

"Oh Crap! What are we gonna do?" she whispered urgently, momentarily forgetting that she was pinned under him in a very compromising position. She looked up at him in apprehension, but her blonde arch-nemesis didn't seem overly concerned about the situation. What made her even more nervous was the strange, wicked gleam in his eyes…

"Convince them," he said softly before he swiftly, but firmly brought his lips down to claim hers in a searing kiss.

* * *

Notes:

1) BWAHAHAHAHA...the evil fanfic writer strikes again. Bet all you people reading this are either staring at your computer screens going "OH. MY. GOD..." or else you've fallen off your chair and are currently on the floor twitching in shock...

2) To all those Miaka/Tamahome-or-anyone-else-except-the-evil-blonde-guy fans who are getting ready to flame me...Erm...Sorry? I swear it wasn't my fault! It was my muse!


	18. Revelations

**Chapter 18: Revelations **

Somewhere on Mt. Taikyoku in Taiitsukun's palace, a howl of rage echoed down the corridors and through the halls. It shook the dust from the rafters and rattled the numerous wall-hangings.

"I AM GOING TO _**KILL**_ HIM!!"

Chiriko hid behind Nuriko, peering out around the violet-haired seishi cautiously. "Ano…how long do you think it will be before it's safe to go near Tamahome again?" the boy genius asked.

Nuriko shrugged, casually examining his fingernails, "Who knows?"

* * *

The kiss was slow, sensual and…gentle?

For the second time that night, Miaka was frozen in shock. For her, time had ground to a halt and the rest of the world seemed to have faded away. All at once, she was…bewildered. A multitude of emotions swirled around her, spinning, rippling like the colours of an aurora borealis.

There was only Nakago kissing her…with more gentleness than she thought he could ever possess. It was the last thing she expected from him, and the most devastating gift he could give. She felt as though she was floating…caught up in the seductive silken web he had woven.

_So warm…._

The faint scrape of the door being carefully shut interrupted her dazed musings.

Nakago broke the kiss and rolled off her, eyeing her almost warily. He did not feel like having a red handprint on his face any time soon. The Suzaku no Miko had a very strong right arm…and he'd had the dubious pleasure of making its acquaintance, not once, but twice. "You are not going to try and hit me again, are you?" He lifted an eyebrow at her, mouth twisted into a sardonic smile.

She glared at him balefully, momentarily disoriented by the abruptness with which he'd ended the kiss. She could still feel the warm press of his mouth against her own…could still taste him on her lips. He'd tasted like mint…and it was somehow strangely appropriate; cool and mysterious, like his personality.

"No…" she gave him a pointed look, "But try that again and I will…ANATA," she said with false sweetness. She highly doubted that she would be able to slap him, even if she tried. Miaka suspected that she had been able to hit him those two times in the past only because he had allowed it.

He smirked in the way which never failed to set her teeth on edge and grate on her nerves. It was the equivalent to someone dragging their nails over a chalkboard. "You need not worry, dear wife. I think we have convinced them enough."

With that, he moved to the far edge of the bed and closed his eyes.

* * *

Miaka lay wide awake on her side of the bed, thinking about what had just happened. Her cheeks were still flushed from the encounter, and her lips still tingled from his kiss. Breathing in and out deeply, she waited for her frantic heartbeat to calm down.

She had always believed that Nakago was nothing more than a soldier; a master strategist and a brilliant tactician, who was protecting her because of some stupid code of honour which she did not understand.

Yet, a short while ago, his lips and hands as he had cupped her face…had held the innate gentleness of a lover. He had been so gentle, so careful…

_As if_…_as if he had not wanted to hurt me_.

She frowned into the darkness, deep in thought.

Her mind went back to that horrible night in the tent in Hokkan. That was the first time he had kissed her. That kiss had been forceful and brutal, roughly taken from her. At the time, he had been the enemy, the evil guy, and he had been about to—

_NO! He could have, but he didn't! _Miaka told herself fiercely. She had always wondered what had prevented Nakago from raping her. After all, he had only promised Yui that he would not kill her. Raping did not equate to killing…and she would never have been able to summon Suzaku if he had. The Seiryuu side would have won…HE would have won.

Suddenly a thought struck her like an epiphany. Drawing from what she had learnt of his character as a result of being stuck with him, she KNEW that he would never have violated her. Her eyes widened at the revelation. Nakago was many things, cunning, devious, manipulative, and most recently, obnoxious…but he was not the kind who would stoop so low as to commit rape just to accomplish his goals. Everything she had learnt about him pointed to that conclusion, and she wondered why she had not reached it sooner.

She turned her thoughts back to the kiss. It had been…different from the ones she had shared with Tamahome. When she kissed Tamahome, she had felt desire, passion…yearning. When Nakago had kissed her, she should have been alarmed, but all she had felt was a deep level of trust, and a strange sense of security…that everything would be all right…

All at once, it hit her. Deep down, she had known that he was protecting her, and that he would get them through this crisis safely.

She had always known…since the day at the river when he had saved her when she had refused to save herself. _Friend, _she thought warmly, _Maybe a reluctant friend, but one I trust…with my life._

_It's so strange, how things have changed. Who would have thought, that I would ever regard Nakago as anything other than an enemy. Yui would be so surprised to see how much Nakago has changed… Sure, he's still an arrogant, conceited jerk with an evil sadistic streak and a twisted sense of humour—er…Did I say that he's changed? Okay…maybe not…_

She giggled softly, mind at peace now that she had sorted out the confused tangle of thoughts and emotions. She allowed her eyes to close as exhaustion caught up with her.

The question Tokake had asked suddenly came back to mind. _Are you sure you can trust that man?_

Miaka smiled serenely, secure in her new-found knowledge. The answer echoed in her mind just as she surrendered to sleep's dark, velvety embrace. _Yes, Master Tokake…I'm sure._

* * *

On the other side of the bed, Nakago opened his eyes as he felt the calm flow of her chi and knew she had resolved whatever it was which had been bothering her.

Her breathing was deep and rhythmic, and he did not have to look at her to know that she had fallen asleep with a peaceful expression on her face. No bad dreams would haunt her tonight.

"Oyasumi nasai, Suzaku no Miko," an echo of a smile ghosted over his lips.

* * *

Notes:

1) Awwww...isn't this sweet? Nakago can be gentle when he wants to be, ne? And Miaka has finally banished her last demon, ie, the "rape" incident in Hokkan. Now that Miaka has resolved all her issues we can now continue with saving the world!

2) Okay, just for clarification purposes...A number of people have asked me "why Miaka?"

It's not that I'm a Miaka fan or anything, mind you. The answer is simply because Miaka is the only one who can summon Suzaku. In addition, I feel that Miaka is also the only one with the capacity to forgive Nakago for everything he has done...fully and unconditionally, because it is in her nature to do so.


	19. Fire and Ice

**Chapter 19: Fire and Ice**

The proprietor's wife watched the strange man and his young wife making their way to the exit. _Odd couple, _she thought, bemused.

The husband was tall, broad-shouldered and had finely-chiselled features. Quite frankly, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. It was hard not to notice him, with his unusual golden hair, his dignified militant bearing and his exceptional good looks. He seemed to have an almost magnetic presence, drawing stares from most of the people in the room, although he himself seemed unaware of the amount of attention he attracted.

The woman turned her gaze to the diminutive figure by the blonde man's side. Next to each other, the top of her head barely reached her companion's chin. She seemed no more than a girl…a child, really. One could easily mistake her for such, had it not been for the confident way she held herself. She noticed the glint in the girl's large, luminous hazel eyes, hinting at a fiery spirit which was completely at odds with her blonde husband's icy demeanour.

_Not that there was anything icy about him last night…_The woman almost blushed at the memory of the sight which had greeted her.

She had not been entirely convinced that the two were married. She had noticed the lack of intimacy when they had walked into the inn…she'd even thought she had heard the tiny so-called "wife" yelling at her "husband", so…

She had decided to check on them.

She had crept to their room in the middle of the night and peeked in.

The scene which had unfolded before her had promptly blown all her doubts about their marital status out of the water.

They had been wrapped in an extremely intimate embrace and the husband had been giving his wife the most passionate kiss the mistress of the inn had ever seen in her long career.

It wasn't hard to guess what had happened AFTER the kiss…

She caught the young wife's eye as the couple passed her and flashed the girl a knowing smile.

* * *

"That is one seriously creepy woman," Miaka sighed in relief as they made it out of the inn without incident. "What kind of sick person spies on people in their rooms in the middle of the night?"

"She was just doing her job, Suzaku no Miko." Nakago scanned the street for anything suspicious. Although they were in a large town with a lot of people around, one could never be too careful. He was a soldier first and foremost, and old habits died hard.

"Hmph," Miaka snorted non-committally even as she surveyed the crowd to their left. "All quiet on the western front."

She almost felt his attention snap back to her.

Tilting her head quizzically to stare at him, "What?" she asked impatiently.

He looked down at her, his face devoid of any expression which would give away his thoughts, "Nothing."

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. The Suzaku no Miko had unconsciously picked up on what he had been doing! Like any good soldier, she had assessed the situation from a tactical point of view and reported her findings…and the most amazing thing was that she had absolutely no idea she'd done it!

_Will wonders never cease…_he thought cynically. His thoughts were interrupted when she seemed to snap back to her normal ditzy self. _Maybe she has split personalities. The whiny and ditzy one being the dominant personality. _A part of his mind suggested snidely. It wasn't that far of a stretch.

"Can we go now? I'm hungry and I don't want to go back to that inn…" the expression on her face was faintly pleading. "The proprietor's wife was giving me such a weird look just now!" she shuddered with something very close to disgust.

He told himself that he should have known better than to be amazed at her naivete. Was the Suzaku no Miko really that innocent? Or was she just plain stupid? Quite possibly both. He almost sighed in exasperation. Almost.

Instead, he allowed a corner of his mouth to quirk in amusement. "She saw me on top of you and we were sharing such a passionate kiss…what would _you_ think if _you_ saw something like that?" He knew that he was deliberately baiting her, but it was always entertaining to watch her reaction.

It took precisely 2.3 seconds for her to realise EXACTLY what the woman must have thought.

Miaka beat her previous blush record by turning every shade of red in the colour spectrum. "OH MY GOD! SHE THOUGHT THAT…THAT I…AND YOU…ACK!!" Her hand flew to her mouth as a second realisation followed on the heels of the first, _Oh no! Nuriko, Hotohori, TAMAHOME… EVERYONE must have seen that! OH MY GOD…! _She covered her face with her hands and groaned in mortification. This was bad. Very bad…

She wanted to die of embarrassment. No wonder the proprietor's wife had given her that conspiratorial, knowing look…little did the nosy woman know that Miaka's virginity was quite intact. _And it's going to STAY that way!!_

Nakago had the grace to look slightly miffed, although she suspected that it was a show entirely for her benefit. The man had an ego larger than Russia, and twice as impenetrable…There was nothing in this world or any other that could dent it.

"You wound me, Suzaku no Miko," he said impassively, although Miaka could have sworn that his tone had held a tinge of amused sarcasm.

She settled for glaring daggers at him, "It's not funny, Jerk," she muttered.

* * *

They left the town that morning, following an obscure trail up into the mountains. Nakago tried to recall what he had heard about the ancient amulet his predecessors had hidden away so carefully. It had been said that it contained great power, capable of doing either great damage or great good. Many a time, it had been a close call as to which. Regardless, the stories he had heard about it had been steeped in myths and rumours that were vague at best.

Still…they were already in possession of all the shinzahos_. It would be a pity to turn back now, wouldn't it?_ Nakago's eyes flicked over the Suzaku no Miko. After they got the amulet and she summoned Suzaku, his debt to Tamahome would be considered repaid…and he could finally get back to his own life. Thank the gods. If he never saw any one of the annoying Suzaku shichi seishi or their Miko again, it would be too soon.

They came to a fork in the path. The Suzaku no Miko was staring at the orb the violet-haired Suzaku seishi had given her in Sairo, shaking it as though she suspected that it was broken. She scowled at it when it did not give her an answer. Her actions were amusing and he almost chuckled at her childish attempts. He cocked his head to one side, listening carefully. In the distance, he heard a faint roar.

_Running water. More specifically, a waterfall. Water was considered sacred. Surely they would hide something like the amulet near a sacred element? _He found no flaw in his reasoning, and anyone would have been hard pressed to dispute the logic in it.

The path on the left branched out in the direction of the waterfall, and every instinct he had told him that their objective lay there. He could not explain it…it was as if there was a powerful force drawing him…urging, calling out to him…

His instincts had never failed him.

"Which way?" she asked quietly, somehow sensing that she could trust his judgement on this matter. _This was the stomping ground of his ancestors after all…_she wondered if all the Hin people were obnoxious from the very beginning of time or whether it was just Nakago. With the kind of luck she had, it was entirely possible that she was stuck with the one and only member in the whole Hin race who had a dysfunctional personality. Sometimes she suspected that he had actually been hatched from a very hard-shelled, very stale egg…

Instead of answering, he started up the left path, not even turning to make sure she was following.

Miaka sighed, having become used to her travelling companion's ways and knowing better than to waste energy getting irritated. It just wasn't worth arguing with him…and she lost most of their verbal sparring matches anyway. _Current score…Arrogant Jerk: 45, Miaka: 2. _Rolling her eyes, she wearily trudged after her enigmatic guide.

It wasn't long before they rounded a bend in the path and were confronted by the sight of a spectacular hundred metre high waterfall. They had emerged on a plateau three quarters of the way up the waterfall, and it afforded a stunning view. Miaka was struck speechless at the sheer beauty of the falling water. At the shimmering pool at the foot of the waterfall, animals and plants of all kinds drew life from the water and flourished. Miaka could not help but notice a rainbow tracing a delicate arc above the mist.

Nakago was looking intently at the waterfall, or more precisely a small ledge almost completely hidden in the mist and spray thrown up by the rushing water. His eyes followed the indistinct outline of the rock shelf and found that it disappeared directly behind the waterfall. He could sense something behind the water and was willing to bet that it was a cave of some sort. Beyond that...

Only one way to find out.

He made his way through the thick undergrowth, pushing it aside until he came to a small trail which connected to the narrow shelf of rock. Miaka had not noticed the outcropping before, but now she could see that it was very narrow…only about two feet wide.

"Do we really have to do this?" she whined petulantly, eyeing the ledge nervously. Not surprisingly, he did not dignify her question with a response. Reluctantly, she followed his lead, inching sideways along the cliff face. She tried not to look down at the long drop just below her feet.

"Suzaku no Miko, can you swim?"

The abruptness with which he asked the question startled her, almost causing her to lose her footing. "Yes…" she said haughtily, then her eyes narrowed at him with suspicion. "Why?"

"Just wanted to make sure, in case you fell off the ledge." His words were blunt and direct, with no hint that he would even care if she fell to a watery death.

She glared at him, wanting nothing more than to kick him off the ledge. He looked back at her with an expression of feigned innocence. She would have bet anything from dollar bills to dill pickles that he was smirking under that damned impassive mask of his.

_Jerk. _

As they got nearer to waterfall, Miaka was able to see that hidden exactly behind the sparkling curtain of water was a cave carved out of the rock on the vertical cliff face. She could feel the excitement building. They were so close to accomplishing their goal!

In fact, she was so excited that she failed to notice that the ledge had become slick with water and slimy green algae. Before she even had a chance to register that her foot had hit a slippery patch of rock, her feet shot out from under her. She felt herself losing her balance and falling off the ledge…

* * *

Notes:

1) Literally a cliffhanger! grins What IS it with Miaka and cliffs and/or water? Either she falls off the cliff, falls into a river, or both...

2) Yep, Nakago is back to his normal, evil self. Comes complete with huge ego. Batteries not included. Hehhehheh. :-)


	20. In the Shadow of a Rainbow

**Chapter 20: In the Shadow of a Rainbow**

…only to be jerked roughly back upwards.

Her eyes flew open, and she found herself dangling in mid-air. With her heart pounding, she cautiously craned her neck upwards, and saw Nakago holding her up by the back of her uniform like one would hold a puppy by the scruff of its neck. His mouth was pressed into a thin, hard line and there was a dark, thunderous expression on his face.

Wordlessly, he hauled her back onto the ledge, and she clung to the rock with trembling, white-knuckled hands, gasping for breath. The shock had caused all the blood to drain from her face…and she turned even paler when she realised the full implications of what had just happened.

_I almost…died. _

It was one thing to exchange barbed quips with Nakago about falling off the ledge…but it was quite another for it to actually happen. She had come within a hairsbreadth of dying, and the realisation shook her to the core. A wave of nausea hit her, and she had to choke it back to keep from throwing up all over the ledge.

Nakago was NOT in the best of moods. His heart was racing and he could feel the slight tremor in his hands. He clenched them to stop the telltale sign which gave away how unnerved he was. He was angry at her for her carelessness and for nearly giving him a heart attack. He hated the unfamiliar feeling which had stabbed at him when he'd seen her slip off the ledge. Did she have ANY idea what had nearly happened? Had it not been for his quick reflexes, her lifeless body would be lying some seventy-five metres down at the foot of the cliff, broken and bleeding. If the initial fall didn't kill her, the jagged rocks at the bottom would surely have. He wondered how she had managed to stay alive for as long as she had…she was a disaster waiting to happen! He was thoroughly convinced that if he gave her enough rope, she would most likely succeed in hanging herself. He gritted his teeth. The Suzaku no Miko was proving to be more trouble than she was worth.

She slowly lifted her face to look at him, but he refused to even acknowledge her presence. He turned his head away from her and continued moving towards the cave opening, as if nothing had happened. With wobbly knees, she picked her way along the last few feet and all but tumbled onto the cave floor, her whole body shaking like a leaf in a storm.

He was leaning against one uneven rock wall, silver-blue eyes as cold and forbidding as the arctic tundra.

When she finally found her voice, she stammered, "Nakago, I…I—"

"Save it." He cut her off sharply. He didn't want to hear any explanations or excuses. He had very little patience when it came to incompetence, and the Suzaku no Miko had just proven hers beyond measure.

* * *

Nakago had taken one of the torches lining the walls and lighted it. They moved deeper into the cave, following the passageway which seemed to go on forever. Miaka had finally stopped trembling, but her mind kept replaying that heart-stopping moment out on the rock ledge over and over again. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not notice that they had come to a large cavern, with tunnels branching off in every direction.

"Suzaku no Miko, now would be a good time to see if that crystal really works," the blonde shogun said impatiently, jolting her back into the present.

"H…Hai," she whispered in a small voice, glad that he had even seen it fit to speak to her again. She hated herself for being so clumsy and careless…for having to depend on him so often to save her. Hurriedly, she rummaged into the bag she was carrying, fumbling with the crystal and almost dropping it in her haste.

It rested innocuously in the palm of her hand, looking like any ordinary ball of glass. She looked up at him hopelessly, completely at a loss as to what to do next, when she suddenly saw his eyes narrowing at the object in her hand.

She yelped and reflexively let go of the crystal as it became so hot that it nearly burnt her hands. However, instead of dropping to the ground, it remained suspended in mid-air, glowing pink in the dim cavern. Before she could say anything, the orb floated to one of the tunnels and seemed to pause at the entrance, as though beckoning them to follow it.

Seeing no reason not to, they did.

The tunnel stretched off into the darkness. At first, it seemed that they were walking on level ground, then gradually, Miaka realised that the floor had turned into a gentle slope downwards. There were several sharp twists and turns, and often, they would come to places where three or four tunnels would converge, but always, the crystal sphere floated ahead of them, guiding them with its pink glow.

After what seemed like an hour of walking through the maze of tunnels, they finally arrived at another cavern, larger than the last. This one was different from the ones they had seen so far.

Its walls glowed eerily. Nakago soon realised that the light was coming from clumps of luminous fungus growing on the rock. Almost every available rock surface was covered with the glowing parasitic plants, and the effect was a spectacular display of slowly pulsating green light. He had never seen anything like it, and judging from the amazed expression on the Suzaku no Miko's face, neither had she.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her reaching out, but before she could touch anything, he snapped out an order.

"Don't touch it."

Miaka froze, fingertips poised inches from the cave wall. Her face turned to him in confusion. He pointed to an assortment of bones from various small creatures like bats and rats littering the cavern floor, lying half-hidden amidst the fine powdery sand. "It's poisonous," he told her dryly.

Her eyes were wide as she snatched her hand back, staring at the walls with horror.

Nakago turned sharply as a faint sound echoed down the tunnel they had just come from. Apparently, they had been followed. Looking down at the ground, he saw that they had left deep, easily discernible footprints in the soft powdery sand. _So that's how…_His thoughts darkened as he sensed more of Tenkou's assassins.

The Suzaku no Miko had already moved to one of the tunnels leading away from the cavern. Next to her, the orb hovered silently, its pink light overwhelmed by the green glow of the cavern walls. He crossed the space separating them in a few strides, wondering what she was waiting for. _An engraved invitation? _he mused humourlessly.

As he reached her, he discovered the reason for her hesitation. The tunnel sloped very steeply downwards; the tunnel floor almost seeming to drop away into the darkness. She glanced at him in panic and apprehension, waiting for him to do something.

So he did.

The next thing Miaka knew, Nakago kicked her in the pressure points on both calves. Predictably, her legs buckled and she landed on her rear. Before she could react, he shoved her, and she shot forward down the tunnel into the darkness, unguided and hopelessly out of control.

* * *

Notes:

1) Don't you just love it when Nakago does stuff like this to Miaka? He does care about her in his own convoluted way (the incident on the ledge hints at that...would he be so pissed if he didn't care?), and he's supposed to be making sure she doesn't get killed...but that doesn't stop him from being evil to her!

2) _"When anything strengthens the bond of friendship, the friends have walked in the shadow of a rainbow."_

--In the Shadow of a Rainbow (Robert Franklin Leslie)


	21. Heritage

**Chapter 21: Heritage**

With an unearthly screech, she flew out of the opening at the end of the tunnel shaft at high speed and landed on the ground in an undignified heap a few metres away. Almost immediately, Nakago slid down the tunnel after her. By twisting his body, he avoided crashing into her and somehow at the same time managed to land miraculously on his feet.

Miaka groaned. She had collected numerous bruises during her trip down the tunnel, as she had literally bounced from one wall to another. Every part of her was sore, no thanks to a certain blonde-haired man who had first _kicked _her then _SHOVED_ her! Slowly, she climbed to her feet as every muscle protested vehemently. Fortunately, she had not broken anything.

Noticing that Nakago looked none the worse for wear after their ordeal, she could feel her anger boiling over, like a pressure-cooker set to explode. How did the insufferable jerk always manage to come out of these things unscathed?

"DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT?? I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!!" she snarled at him, launching herself at his throat.

He calmly side-stepped her rapidly oncoming figure, catching her by the back of her uniform as she hurtled past him; literally plucking her out of the air in mid-flight. Without any apparent effort, he lifted her up until her face was level with his…which resulted in her dangling close to two metres off the ground.

Amused silver-blue eyes stared into her enraged hazel ones. "You, dear Miko, hardly need my assistance when it comes to getting yourself killed," he blithely pointed out with a smirk designed specifically to grate on her nerves. "Besides, can you think of any other way we could have gotten down that tunnel?"

"YOU DIDN"T HAVE TO KICK ME!!" she yelled indignantly, her fingers twitching as she pantomimed strangling the life out of him. "AND LET GO OF ME!!"

"If you insist," he said nonchalantly, complying with her wishes and abruptly releasing his hold on her. She dropped like a stone, sprawling ungracefully on the floor for the second time in just as many minutes.

Miaka moaned in pain and defeat, wondering once again, what unforgivable sin she had inadvertently committed to warrant getting stuck with Nakago, of all people. She slowly thumped her head against the ground in frustration.

It was kind of relaxing, in a way…

Flicking his long blonde hair back, he swept a coolly assessing glance over the girl at his feet before turning his back on her and examining their surroundings. They were in yet another cave, but this one was perfectly round, and had only one tunnel leading away from it. The orb which had been guiding them hovered next to it, casting its reassuring light into the darkness.

They had no choice except to go forward. Miaka hurriedly scrambled after Nakago, who had not stopped to wait for her. Tenkou's minions would come pouring down the tunnel soon, and she didn't particularly feel like being the one to greet them on their arrival.

The orb led them through another series of twisting and turning tunnels and Miaka was becoming so sick of being in the confines of such small spaces that she was starting to wish that she would never have to see another cave or tunnel ever again.

Abruptly, they emerged on top of a rock outcropping. Below them, a chasm yawned out into infinity. Idly, Nakago picked up a loose rock and tossed it over the edge of the precipice. The rock bounced on the steep walls of the chasm. They listened to the sound it made until it gradually faded away into silence without any indication that the rock had hit the bottom.

Miaka gulped nervously. The only thing connecting this side to the rocky platform on the other side was a rickety rope bridge. She could see that some of the wooden boards were missing, having either rotted away or fallen off.

"You're not scared, Suzaku no Miko, are you?" the blonde shogun taunted, having read her thoughts. They didn't have much time before the assassins caught up with them, and Nakago wanted to be on the other side of the chasm when they turned up. If making the Suzaku no Miko angry would get her moving, then he was more than willing to insult her to do it.

It worked.

She shot him a glare which could have frozen carbon dioxide and tilted her chin up haughtily, "Of course not!" she bit out and marched up to the bridge. Gripping the ropes tightly, she stepped onto the wooden planks. The bridge swayed alarmingly in response and her stomach gave a sickening lurch. She could feel Nakago's eyes on her, but her pride kept her going. She would be damned if she ever gave him any additional reason to look down on her! The boards creaked loudly, but held her weight.

She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, trying not to look down. Before she knew it, she was almost on the other side. Taking one last huge step, she found herself back on solid ground. Miaka panted with grateful relief, her palms wet and clammy with nerve sweat.

Nakago was halfway across the bridge when Tenkou's men appeared. Their shouts echoed off the rock walls as they all rushed to the bridge. Eyes narrowed into slits, he considered the half rotted wooden planks ahead of him and came to a quick decision. He knew what he was about to do was extremely reckless (the level of foolhardiness and stupidity being worthy of a Suzaku seishi), and there was no guarantee that the wood would even hold his weight…but it really couldn't be helped.

He ran.

The bridge swung violently, the ropes groaning in protest as extra stress was placed on them. _A few more feet…_the plank under his foot broke away, spiralling down into the abyss.

A split-second was all he needed, and he took a running leap towards the rock platform. Not a moment too soon either, as the rest of the wood gave way. He made it to safety with mere centimetres to spare, his boots skidding on the sandy ground. The Suzaku no Miko was staring at him with her mouth open, her eyes as big as saucers. Looking infinitely more calm than he felt, he ignored her, turning his attention back to the assassins.

They were advancing slowly but steadily, wisely putting their weight on the ropes instead of on the wooden boards. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to help them, one way or the other.

Nakago drew his sword, an evil smirk spreading across his face.

With one swift movement, he sliced through the connecting ropes, watching in satisfaction as the bridge seemed to hang suspended in mid-air for an instant before swinging back to crash into the opposite wall of the ravine, sending the purple-clad men on it plummeting down into the inky darkness.

* * *

They continued on their way, and Miaka was somewhat more at ease since they did not have to worry about Tenkou's assassins anymore. However, she was still uncomfortable with the way Nakago had disposed of them, reminding her of his true nature. Despite everything that had occurred and his promise to protect her, he was still a cold-blooded warrior…one who killed easily without remorse.

Then it happened.

They hit a dead end. The tunnel just ended in a solid wall of rock.

"Noooooo…this CAN'T be!" Miaka pounded her fists against it and kicked at the wall, but to no avail. The glowing orb floated in front of them, providing no answers. "No," she whispered. They had come this far, only to be met with a dead end. She could not believe it…would not allow herself to believe that the orb Nuriko had given her had misled them.

Nakago was silent. For the first time in his life, he had no idea what to do. He stepped nearer to the rock, inspecting it closely. By the dim light from the floating crystal sphere, he discovered that what he had first thought to be an ordinary wall of rock actually had designs carved into the stone.

Cautiously, he ran his fingertips over the intricately carved bas-reliefs, tracing out motifs as distinctly Hin as his blonde hair and blue eyes. There was a feeling he could not quite place, something…

Without warning, the stone under his hand began to glow, as each and every design slowly become outlined with light. The Suzaku no Miko took a step back in alarm, but he remained where he was, still touching the wall. The stone felt warm under his fingers, and somehow, oddly comforting.

"What the—" Miaka managed to utter in surprise, as the wall silently slid aside, revealing a lighted cavern beyond.

The walls were painted with murals so realistic that they seemed to glow with a life of their own in the subdued light. Scenes of people with golden hair, fair skin and blue eyes, immortalised for all time by skilled artisans on the stone walls…

In the centre stood a pedestal. On top of it, sparkling in the light, lay the object they had come so far to find.

* * *

Miaka was overcome with wonder. The paintings on the walls, the elegant splendour of the cavern…it took her breath away. Looking at the people depicted in the murals, she found that she had been right…the Hin had really been a beautiful race of people.

She crossed the floor, making her way to the amulet.

However, before she could touch it, a familiar mocking voice rang out.

"Very well done, if I should say so myself."

A man calmly stepped out of a shadowed corner, a perfect smirk on his handsome face. The dim light reflected off his golden blonde hair and ice blue eyes.

* * *

Notes:

1) AAAaaarggggh! Sorry if this chapter sounded like a bad rip-off of Indiana Jones, The Mummy, or Tomb Raider...especially that bridge scene. Oldest cliche in the book. My muse just took a hike on me. : :mutters a few unprintable words: : Next chapter will be better, I promise! So stay tuned...As always, reviews are welcome! They might just entice my muse to come back!

2) Okay, so that was a rather shameless attempt to encourage reviews...

3) Ah yes...as the famous saying goes: The shit is about to hit the fan.


	22. The Art of War

**FOREWORD:  
**  
The original manuscript for this chapter was written entirely on recycled paper, and if that prompts any comments about recycled ideas going with the paper, kindly keep them to yourself.

I have decided to grant Stormlight's wish to see the smirk wiped off Nakago's face...well, sort of...

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 22: The Art of War **

Miaka whipped around, only to see that Nakago had not moved from the spot she had last seen him. That had to mean…

_OH CRAP._

She looked from one man to the other. From what she could see, they looked exactly alike, right down to the damned smirk. The only difference was that the other Nakago was dressed completely in black, which contrasted breathtakingly with his fair hair and skin.

"What, don't you have anything to say?" the doppelganger addressed the man he had been created to resemble. "How unlike you to be speechless." The voice, the tone…all the inflections in his speech were identical to the real Nakago's.

"You are Tenkou's creation," Nakago pronounced coldly, regaining his mental equilibrium. The initial shock which had overtaken him was rapidly wearing off; leaving him extremely unimpressed…and in a very, very bad mood.

"So I am," the doppelganger replied agreeably, "but I'm also you." He lifted a hand, and a glowing blue ball of chi appeared in his palm. On his forehead, the blue kokoro symbol flared brilliantly.

"Remember this? I have all your powers…everything you lost when the Suzaku no Miko sealed Seiryuu." He let out a soft snort of amusement, taking a step closer to Nakago, "How pathetic you are. You can deceive everyone, Nakago. You can lie to her," he inclined his head in Miaka's direction, "maybe even to yourself…but you can't lie to me. I know how disgusted you are with yourself, with how weak you've become."

The blonde shogun regarded his alter-ego with a level stare that was icily aloof, "Do you have any idea how annoying you are?"

Miaka was amazed at how unruffled Nakago appeared to be. She bit her tongue at the question he'd asked his double, and refrained from making a comment about blackened pots versus kettles. Seeing two Nakagos talking to each other so civilly was disconcerting. It was like talking to yourself in the mirror, only in this case, the mirror image talked back.

Instead of replying, the doppelganger launched the ball of chi at Nakago, who narrowly dodged the attack. The chi-blast streaked past him, and blew a large hole in the wall. The entire cavern shuddered at the impact.

Nakago drew his sword, studying his opponent's every move…calculating the moment when his alter-ego might attack again. His double smirked, and started shooting chi-blasts in rapid succession. Nakago instantly dropped to the ground, the deadly energy passing harmlessly over his head to blast yet more holes in the walls. _Know your enemy, know yourself…and victory will be yours. Never have truer words been spoken. _The irony of the statement would have amused him, had he not been fighting for his life. He was sure that the stodgy old curmudgeon who had coined those words of wisdom had never been placed in a situation quite like the one he was currently in.

She watched the fight, her worry increasing steadily. _How do you defeat someone who knows you inside out? Who knows your every thought…your every secret? _And worse still, the duplicate created by Tenkou had all the deadly power Nakago had possessed before. Miaka wasn't sure whether even someone like Nakago would be able win this battle against himself.Her eyes wandered to the amulet, resting on the pedestal nearby_. If I can get to it, maybe I can start summoning Suzaku…_

Slowly, she began moving towards it…

The double suddenly turned to look directly at her, and she found herself frozen in place with a powerful chi binding spell. "Don't even think about it," he said calmly, his pale blue eyes gleaming maliciously.

Nakago took the opportunity to attack while his alter-ego was distracted with the Suzaku no Miko. He lunged forward, swinging his sword in a tight arc which would have bisected his opponent's torso, slicing him diagonally from ribcage to shoulder…

…only to encounter thin air as the double winked out of existence.

Nakago whipped around, snapping out a spinning roundhouse kick at the same time, instinctively knowing that the clone had teleported behind him. However, without his powers, fast as his reflexes were, his alter-ego was faster. Before he could even complete the turn, he felt himself being flung backwards as the double used his psychokinetic powers, slamming Nakago into the wall on the far side of the cavern.

The collision with the unyielding solid stone wall jarred every bone in his body; knocking the wind out of his lungs and Nakago was sure that he'd just cracked several ribs. A variety of multi-coloured shapes flitted at the edges of his vision; the incredible pain nearly causing him to black out as he slid down to the floor, gasping involuntarily.

"NAKAGO!!" Miaka screamed in horror, still unable to move, the shimmering blue bands of chi holding her as firmly in place as any chains or metal bars.

The double looked amused, as he turned and walked towards her. "Aren't you going to cheer for me too, Suzaku no Miko?" He stopped directly in front of her, his mouth twisted into a sardonic sneer, "I'm Nakago as well."

Being so close to him, she could feel the waves of pure evil radiating from him. It was unlike anything she had ever encountered before, not even from Nakago when they had been enemies. One hand reached out to cup her chin, tilting her head up and forcing her to meet his penetrating silver-blue gaze.

"He could have had everything he wanted, if he had taken you in Hokkan," Miaka shivered at the blonde man's words. They were spoken in the deep voice she had come to trust…coming from a monster wearing the face of the person she had learnt to regard as a friend. The double slid his fingers down to stroke the soft, delicate skin of her throat, just over her frantically racing pulse, "I intend to rectify that mistake," he said softly.

Slightly callused fingertips trailing languidly down her neck to trace her collarbone drew a strangled whimper from her as he circled around her trapped form, like a predator stalking its prey. Moving behind her, he leaned intimately close.

"You have such soft, beautiful skin. I shall enjoy teaching you…so many things…" he murmured seductively, his lips brushing against her hair. His tongue flicked over the outer rim of her ear before he placed a teasing butterfly kiss on the highly sensitive spot just behind her earlobe, causing her to shudder violently in response…

With deliberate, aching slowness, he trailed his mouth along the line of her jaw and down the curve of her throat, lightly pressing a series of soft, wet kisses onto her skin.

She could not prevent the tiny whisper of a moan from escaping her lips as she unconsciously arched into his sensuous touch.

He was seducing her…and succeeding completely. Miaka was beginning to drown in the sea of warm sensations he was arousing in her. This version of Nakago, although completely evil, exhibited the same gentleness the real one had shown her when he'd kissed her at the inn. It was as if she had been rendered powerless to resist, despite the knowledge that this was a monster created by Tenkou. Traitorous desire, heady and intoxicating, wrapped around her senses…

_WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN TAMAHOME?! GET A GRIP, MIAKA! SNAP OUT OF IT!! _A voice in at the back of her mind screamed desperately, in a last-ditch attempt to jolt her out of her drugged stupor. The sensual haze which had enveloped her dissipated at the harsh mental admonishment, which had all the effect of a slap in the face.

She could feel his warm breath; could feel the soft blonde hair caressing her cheek…the careful, gentle stroking of his lips and hands…it left her trembling uncontrollably, as a combination of guilty yearning and ice-edged terror clawed its way up her spine.

The doppelganger chuckled, sensing her emotional turmoil and stepped back, "You liked that, didn't you?" It was more a statement of fact than a question; accompanied by an air of pure masculine satisfaction. "That was just a little taste of the pleasure I can give you. Don't fight me, pretty Suzaku no Miko…I'll make it enjoyable for you, I promise." His deep voice was as smooth as silk…and powerfully hypnotic.

Miaka paled, horrified at herself. For one moment, she had almost succumbed to the alternate Nakago's soft words and caresses…had almost been ready to surrender herself to him, body and soul. A minute ago, she had actually _**wanted**_ him. The mere thought of it made her feel ill and she suddenly felt like throwing up.

_NO! I will not let him win! I won't let him seduce me! The jerk is toying with me, just like the real one does! _The realisation brought a surge of white-hot fury which completely eclipsed every other emotion. Mustering all the courage she possessed, she glared at him for all she was worth, anger and hate flaring brightly in her eyes.

"ROT. IN. HELL," she spat, emphasising every word. Amazingly, her voice did not tremble. "I'll die before I let you touch me."

"Such spirit," the double said, lips curling into a slow, predatory smile. "It will make things all the more interesting."

His attention was diverted away from her when he noticed Nakago getting to his feet. He turned back to face the other blonde man.

* * *

Nakago was leaning against the cave wall for support, his ribs protesting at every movement. Thankfully, his alter-ego's preoccupation with the Suzaku no Miko had given him some precious time to recover. He admitted to himself that he wasn't in peak physical condition, and could very well lose the next bout. Still, he had heard her angry words to his counterpart, and could not help smirking. She had refused to be intimidated by the mind games his double was playing, and that had earned his approval.

She had not lost her spirit…and he would not lose his.

"Give up, you should know you cannot win." His duplicate said impassively, hand extended to blast him with another ball of chi.

"You should know that I never give up," Nakago stated evenly, his fingers curling tightly around the weapon he held. _There has to be a way to beat him…_He tried to think of any weaknesses, but came up empty. To make matters worse, the pain in his chest made it extremely difficult to concentrate. _Damn…_He used to be almost invincible, and now he was forced to fight a perfect copy of himself who had all the powers he didn't possess anymore. Irony did not even begin to cover the situation.

He managed to deflect a chi-blast with his sword, but the recoil was tremendous, almost causing him to lose his grip on the hilt. The next attack, he ducked, rolling out of the way and into the deep shadows at the edges of the cavern.

"You can run, but you can't hide," the double drawled complacently, his bored tone indicating his disinterest at the cat-and-mouse game which had been initiated. He began directing chi-blasts into the shadows, trying to flush out his prey.

Miaka watched, her heart pounding rapidly against her ribcage. Suddenly, she thought she heard voices, calling to her. _What? _She concentrated, forcing herself to tune out the sounds of the battle, the chi-blasts, the sounds of rock crumbling to dust…

_Miaka…_

With a start, she realised that she had not heard the voice with her ears, but with her heart.

_Hotohori? Is that you?_

_Yes, Miaka. We're all here to help you, but we need you to focus your chi._

_But how? I don't know how!_ she thought desperately. The binding spell holding her was strong, and she didn't know if she could break it. She had not been able to break Nakago's chi before, and she didn't think she could do it now.

Another voice sounded, _Believe in yourself, Miaka, because we all believe in you!_

_I still think Nakago is bastard, and he deserves to get his ass kicked, but you gotta help him…_

_Nuriko! Tasuki! _Other voices joined in, adding their encouragement. _Chichiri, Chiriko, Mitsukake… _

_Be strong, Miaka! You can do it! You've never let me down, or ever disappointed me! All of my heart…all of my soul…Wo Ai Ni, forever…_

_Tamahome…_Miaka could feel the tears filling her eyes. They were all with her, giving her their support. She had to try, had to prove that their trust in her was not misplaced. She took a deep breath, calming herself, and willed all the strength she had into her concentration.

Gradually, an object begun to materialise in front of her, shimmering iridescently. She stared at it in wonder, seeing the emperor's face instead of her own reflection in the polished metal.

_Hotohori…this—this is…but Nakago, after what he did to you…why—? _

Hotohori's image smiled gently, his deep, soothing voice echoing in her heart and in her mind. _How could I not forgive him, when he has protected you all this time? But you need to hurry! He will not be able to hold out much longer!_

She nodded. Gritting her teeth, she began to fight against the chi holding her captive. She could feel all her seishi sending their collective power to her…and Tamahome's love, flowing through her, lending her strength. Red sparks danced around her, as the energy crackled. There was a sound like electricity building up as she slowly lifted her hand, forcing it to move.

* * *

The black-clad blonde shogun had finally succeeded in drawing Nakago out of the shadows. The latest series of chi-blasts had grazed Nakago, and he was bleeding in several places, his white shirt stained a deep crimson. A thin trickle of blood ran down the left side of his neck from a shallow cut just under his jaw; the result of being too close to a wall as it had exploded, showering him with stone splinters. From the position he was in, he could see what the Suzaku no Miko was attempting to do. Fortunately, his alter-ego had yet to notice the little scene going on in the background with the captive girl, assuming that she would not be able to break free of his chi.

They had one chance…Nakago had to count on her to fight her way free. The only thing he could do was to buy her some extra time.

"Is that the best you can do?" he taunted, drawing his counterpart's complete attention. "With all that power, and you haven't managed to kill me yet." His voice sounded strange to his own ears, and it took him a moment to realise why…It was hoarse with pain.

A fleeting expression of irritation crossed his double's face before it was replaced with an arrogant smirk, "Ah…but I was just getting warmed up," the tone was cool and impersonal, but it did not disguise the underlying menace in the words.

* * *

Miaka was putting everything she had into her efforts. _Believe in myself…know that there are people who believe in me…I can do this! There is nothing to fear…I WILL NOT LOSE!! _Her hand closed around the hilt of Hotohori's deity sword, as the chi bands which had held her captive dissolved under the force of her will.

The feel of the Suzaku no Miko breaking out of his chi was enough to momentarily distract the black-clad Seiryuu shichi seishi. Nakago saw his chance. Ignoring the searing pain from his fractured ribs, he dropped to the ground, grabbed a handful of sand and flung it into his alter-ego's face, before the double could turn to face the girl.

In the split-second it took for the other man to deflect the sand with a chi-field, Miaka had hurled the sword towards the real Nakago in an amazing display of strength and skill. The hilt slapped against his palm with a reassuring smack as he expertly caught it with one hand.

Not a moment too soon, as his duplicate released three immensely powerful chi-blasts at him. Nakago automatically blocked with the sword, and its blade absorbed the power almost immediately, glowing a fierce pink; tendrils of crackling energy flickering along the length of its blade. He saw the look of surprise on his double's face as the other blonde man recognised the deity sword…right before Nakago swung the blade in a glowing arc, sending the accumulated power back at his opponent.

His mirror image did not even have time to move before the deadly chi found its mark; instantly vaporising flesh and bone on impact.

* * *

Notes:

1) Whew! Writing this chapter darn near KILLED me. : :Author collapses weakly over keyboard.: : It is a whole lot easier visualising it than trying to write it out! Actually, I originally wanted it to be Tamahome (evil one created by Tenkou, of course!) and Nakago fighting, then I realised that it really wouldn't be as exciting as Nakago vs. Nakago...and besides, I did the Tamahome-fighting-Nakago thing in Chapter 2. Anyhow, a scene with Tamahome seducing Miaka would not be as powerful as a scene with Nakago seducing Miaka...wicked grin

2) I hope everyone enjoyed the seduction scene...Hehhehheh. I wanted the Alternate!Nakago to have a little fun with Miaka. It's a pity I had to kill him off... I was really starting to like him, even though he was an evil jerk...

By the way, it's not that the real Nakago isn't still evil...it's just that the Nakago created by Tenkou is _more_ evil.

3) The "stodgy old curmudgeon" Nakago refers to is Sun Tzu. Being a military general, Nakago is almost certain to have studied the works of Sun Tzu, so I think it is pretty conceivable for him to quote something out of Sun Tzu's teachings. "Know you enemy and know yourself...and victory will be yours" can be found under the section of _Attack by Strategem_ from "The Art of War" (Yep, that's where I got the title for this chapter).


	23. All Good Things

**Chapter 23: All Good Things…**

Miaka took a step towards Nakago, knowing that he was badly injured. The prolonged fight had only made things worse. She could hear his shallow, laboured breaths…his broken ribs making the simple action of breathing excruciatingly painful.

"Nakago…"

"Get the amulet and start summoning Suzaku," he interrupted her brusquely, ruthlessly suppressing any indication that he was in pain. They had wasted enough time fighting Tenkou's creation and the sooner they sealed away the evil deity, the better.

"Hai," she acknowledged, turning and reaching out to take the amulet from the pedestal. As soon as her fingers touched the artefact, laughter rang out as a strong wind began to blow inside the cavern, whipping up the sand on the floor, almost blinding them.

Above them, Tenkou materialised, his long silver hair floating about him like an ethereal cloak.

"You mortals are so amusing. I have to admit, watching the both of you has been entertaining," his pale lips lifted in a malevolent smile. "But…like all good things, this little game must come to an end." Tenkou's black robes fluttered slightly as the wind howled around him. "I could have given you everything you desired, Nakago, had you chosen to serve me. You are a fool to get yourself involved with Suzaku's people."

"I take a personal interest when someone tries to kill me," Nakago stated in his cold, calm manner, silver-blue eyes narrowing dangerously. His hand tightened around the enchanted sword. "Why didn't you just kill us right at the beginning? It could have saved you, and us, a lot of trouble." His face was completely devoid of emotion; an expressionless, impenetrable mask firmly in place.

"Ah…but you two have been so helpful, bringing all the Shinzahos here to me. Now I can summon the gods myself," Tenkou chuckled, the evil smile never wavering. "And now you have outlived your usefulness, I must bid you farewell."

The evil entity laughed again, and faded away as the wind picked up in intensity, swirling clouds of dust and sand around them. Small pieces of rock from the roof were raining down on them, dislodged by the strong winds. Everything was shaking, as if they were caught in an earthquake.

And in the centre of it all, she stood...

Not long ago, nothing could have swayed him from his belief that the Suzaku no Miko was a weak-willed slip of a girl who lacked intelligence. Now, after all that had happened, he admitted that those perceptions had been blown away like cobwebs in a storm once he had gotten to know her…gotten to really know what lay beneath the seemingly ditzy exterior.

The Suzaku no Miko possessed a strength of spirit that could have easily rivalled his Seiryuu given powers, had she known how to channel it properly. She was the sort who put others before herself; who would fight for her friends until the very end…

Nakago realised now, that all the clumsiness, the incessant cheerfulness, was just a façade to cover what she really was…A true Priestess of Suzaku. Suzaku had made no mistake in choosing a girl who completely personified its ideals.

He saw her now, standing amidst the tempest, her head held high, hazel eyes glittering in defiance… every inch the priestess. He remembered the Seiryuu no Miko mentioning once, that her best friend's—and worst enemy's—last name meant Courage.

It suited her. She was the bravest girl he had ever seen. _Baka, but brave…_

He watched as her russet hair whipped about her face, against the determined set of her jaw, and wondered inanely whether she had ever been afraid of anything.

He recalled the clear unblinking gaze of wonder in her eyes as she had stood atop that cliff watching the sunset next to him. Her large hazel eyes had held the fierce joy of being alive…and the strong conviction of good always triumphing over evil.

He had wanted to grab hold of that. Grab hold and never let go.

Nakago had never given his loyalty to anyone; not to the Seiryuu no Miko, and certainly not to the low-life scum who had been Kutou's emperor. Yet without really meaning to, he'd sworn to protect this girl. At first, it had been nothing more than an obligation, a matter of honour…but now…

For years he had been treated as a plaything by the emperor of Kutou. In the military as a teenager, he had been treated like dirt. He could still remember all the jeers, the taunts…all the name-calling… just because he'd looked different with his pale hair and skin. As he had risen up through the ranks to the top, people had alternately feared him and looked up to him.

Not a single person had ever treated him as an equal, he reflected bitterly, except the one who stood before him now.

With a start, he realised that he genuinely cared about her well-being.

She made him feel…almost human.

* * *

A loud ominous rumble echoed through the cavern, even as the floor beneath them gave a sickening lurch.

Dropping the sword, he lunged in her direction, the distance between seeming to span light-years, but in actual fact, only a few metres. Even as he reached her, the ceiling gave a final, enormous groan as it inexorably collapsed in on itself.

It was as though everything was happening in slow motion. He watched the huge chunks of rock falling towards them with the cool detachment of an observer seeing it all happen to someone else. Nakago drew her close to him, shielding her body with his own in a parody of a lovers' embrace. It was only now, that Tamahome's dying words made sense to him.

_If you have to ask, you'll never understand…_

After all this time, he finally understood what the dark-haired Suzaku seishi had meant. There were some things that could never be explained with mere words. There were some questions which could only be answered by looking deep into one's own self.

_Even now, when neither of us stands a chance of surviving…even now, I'm trying to protect her, _he thought with fatalistic amusement. _How ironic. _There had been a time, not so long ago, when he would have killed her without a second thought.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered against his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt.

_Sorry? _He wondered what she was sorry for. Why was she apologising? She had tried her best, hadn't she? Had done everything within her power…

A spark of anger ignited within him.

It wasn't fair! They had come so close to success, only to fail now after trying so hard…after all he had gained.

It had taken this one girl to teach him that there was more to life than the quest for power or revenge…he had simply existed for so long that he had forgotten how to live. It dawned on him that in the time he had spent with her, he'd felt more alive than he had in years. He had taken so much away from her, and still, despite all the trespasses he had committed against her, she had given so much back to him…

No. It wasn't supposed to end this way.

He would not let it.

He would not allow another person he cared about die. Not this time. Never again.

The final link in the unbreakable chain around his heart shattered, even as the impenetrable wall of ice he had built around his soul dissolved into a million glittering shards…

Everything exploded in a blinding flash of light…

And then, all was silent, and wonderfully, hideously at rest.

* * *

Notes:

1) Angst fest and introspection. Nakago realises some important things. He strikes me as someone who is always brutally honest with himself...And no, he's not in love with Miaka or anything , not by a long shot. He just cares for her in the same way her own seishi care about her, in a strictly platonic sense, of course. However, there is still a large degree of selfishness when it comes to how Nakago really feels. He protects her, because of his debt to Tamahome, yet also partly because the Suzaku no Miko makes him feel slightly better about himself...

2) Alcestis answers the pressing question of "Why isn't Nakago in love with Miaka?"

I have thought about it, but it's too far a stretch (for now)! Nakago is very controlled, and it is impossible for him to just fall in love so easily. He is just learning how to feel again, and he's emoting a bit more, but there are still too many barriers (some of them self-imposed) and too many differences between him and Miaka. Remember, even though he's not the evil, cold-blooded villain anymore, he is still ruled by his mind rather than his heart. He is not looking for love, nor does he expect anyone to love him back, so I think that puts a damper on any chance of Nakago+Miaka for the time being. Besides, Miaka still loves Tamahome!

I feel that it would be way out of character for Nakago to even want to have that kind of relationship with the Suzaku no Miko, and as an author, I strive to stay as true to the original character as possible. I'll just say that he respects her now, which is a huge difference from the undisguised contempt he used to regard her with at the beginning of this story...


	24. Catch Me When I Fall

**Chapter 24: Catch Me When I Fall**

Miaka slowly opened her eyes, fully expecting to find herself in the afterlife. What she found instead was that she was floating a few feet off the debris-littered ground, enclosed in a glowing blue sphere of energy.

Her eyes flew open completely, and she realised that she wasn't alone inside the protective bubble. Nakago was beside her, his eyes closed in concentration…

…and amazingly, the blue kokoro symbol she had not seen for so long was shining on his forehead.

_How? Seiryuu was sealed!_

His ice blue eyes opened to look down at her astonished face, but his expression was grim. Tenkou was still around, and Nakago could sense the evil deity lurking nearby. "You should start summoning Suzaku," he prompted her tonelessly, pointing out what should have been obvious to her.

Before she could reply, the air seemed to shimmer, and Tenkou reappeared in a swirl of violet light. The twisted smile that had been on his face was absent. The malevolent entity looked almost angry at the fact that they were not dead yet.

"An unexpected surprise," the silver-haired deity said, "But no matter. You will not stand in my way!" Tenkou raised his hands, and a dark ball of energy began forming over his head, crackling as it swirled like a black storm cloud complete with lightning.

_To protect…everyone…I need to protect…_Miaka squeezed her eyes shut. Breaking out of the chi binding spell earlier had taken a lot out of her. She was so tired…

Nakago's face was a study of cold impassivity as he too called forth his power. _This is it. We either win, or it all ends here. _A large glowing ball of chi appeared in his hand.

Tenkou released all the built-up energy at them, and they were pitched backwards with the force of the impact. Fortunately, he had managed to deflect most of it with his chi-field, and he immediately retaliated with his own attack. He could only hope that the Suzaku no Miko was well enough to summon the god…he knew that her efforts to break out of his alter-ego's chi had drained her almost to the point of exhaustion.

He side-stepped one of the black lightning bolts from Tenkou as it sizzled past him, singeing his sleeve. Grabbing the Suzaku no Miko's limp arm, he hauled her behind a huge boulder which had crashed down from the ceiling during the cave-in.

_Damn. She's almost unconscious. _It did not bode well for them. It was highly unlikely that she would be able to summon Suzaku in her present condition.

Nakago stepped out around the rock to shoot another round of chi-blasts at Tenkou. It didn't seem to faze the evil deity and Nakago found himself having to dodge more balls of deadly energy. The blasts slammed against the boulder, and the rock began to crumble. At the present rate, it wouldn't hold up to the assault much longer.

They were quickly running out of options. He lashed out with his formidable telekinetic power, aiming for Tenkou's throat, but his silver-haired opponent merely smiled and raised a long-nailed hand like a shield, somehow managing to negate the power.

_Nani?_ The blonde shogun didn't see the bolt of dark energy heading straight towards him until it was too late. By then, it was impossible to move out of the way. Instinctively, he raised both his forearms in a defensive stance to block it, quickly erecting a chi-field at the same time. Muscles tensed, he braced himself just as the shockwave hit his system.

The power of the blast threw him back a few feet, his boots kicking up sand and dust as he skidded backwards; but the move probably saved his life. The bolt had been aimed at his chest, and would most likely have killed him if it had been allowed to hit its target. As it was, the pain from his cracked ribs had already slowed him down considerably.

Before he could congratulate himself for having survived the deadly attack, Tenkou suddenly dematerialised. Nakago whirled around, looking for the evil deity, even as laughter seemed to erupt from every corner of the cavern. The disembodied sound echoed off the rock walls, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of its source. Suddenly, he sensed a presence behind him, and spun quickly on his heel to confront his silver-haired opponent…

…just in time to catch an unbelievably powerful backhand to the face, sending him flying across the cavern. He slammed into the pedestal which had held the amulet; crashing into it hard enough to shatter the marble, and collapsed on the ground amidst the needle-like shards. Every bone in his body felt as if it was broken, splintered by the force with which he had hit the marble column.

He could taste the blood in his mouth, and knew that he had sustained some serious internal injuries. Through the pain clouding his thoughts, he vaguely registered Tenkou leisurely strolling towards him. A gloating smile was slowly spreading over the malevolent deity's face as he stood over Nakago.

Abruptly, a new burst of searing agony exploded in his chest. It was so intense that Nakago barely managed to bite back a scream of pain.

"What made you think that you could ever stand against me, you pathetic fool?" Tenkou mercilessly ground the heel of his boot into Nakago's chest, crushing the already broken ribs. It would not take much for one of the splintered bone fragments to pierce his heart…

There was the sickening crunch of bone giving way.

"YAMERO!!" Miaka staggered past the evil deity, shoving him aside heedless of the danger, and threw herself over her blonde companion's body, trying to prevent Tenkou from hurting Nakago any further. "Please stop! Onegai…" she begged hoarsely, her voice catching in her throat.

Nakago felt something wet sliding over his cheek through the haze of pain, and it took him a moment to realise that the Suzaku no Miko was crying. She was sobbing as if her heart was broken; her tears dripping off her chin to fall on his face. She whispered his name, pleading with him to hang on… begging him not to die. He blinked, surprised and puzzled by her reaction. No one had ever shed tears for him before…

No one had ever bothered.

_For me…? She is crying…for me…_

"How touching," Tenkou sneered disdainfully, "I would never have guessed that you used to be enemies. Didn't he try to kill you and your seishi?"

The evil entity looked thoughtful for a moment, as if making up his mind about something. "Your capacity for forgiveness and your tenacity impresses me, Suzaku no Miko…worthy of one I would choose for my consort." He grinned evilly, his voice filled with repressed mirth, "I'll even make sure Nakago here remains alive long enough to witness our union."

Miaka rose to her feet, turning around to face her silver-haired enemy. "You bastard," she said slowly and clearly, even though she was trembling with rage. There was something deadly in her tone, something which promised vengeance. Her delicate nails dug painfully into the soft skin of her palms as she clenched her fists.

"Now, that's no way to talk to your future husband…I think I'll have to teach you some manners," Tenkou made a swift gesture with his hand, "Don't worry, my dear, you won't be hurt. I wouldn't dream of marring your beauty, so…" he paused, pale eyebrows lifting in amusement as he continued condescendingly, "…he will bear all your punishment for you."

The dread which had been simmering inside her turned into full-blown horror, as she looked behind her and saw what Tenkou had done.

Hanging suspended off the ground, with brightly glowing bands of violet energy holding him firmly in place, was Nakago…stretched out like an exhibit in a museum and bound to a huge granite cross.


	25. The Last Stand

**Chapter 25: The Last Stand**

The chi bands holding him were slowly tightening…and Nakago heard, rather than felt the bones in his wrists snapping under the pressure exerted by Tenkou's chi. However, luckily for him, the nerves in his body were already so overwhelmed with pain that he barely felt the additional injury…for that, he was vaguely thankful.

"STOP IT! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" Miaka shrieked, hearing the horrible crunching sound of bones being crushed. She had never seen the man who had once been her deadliest, most resourceful enemy so helpless…so utterly pale and devoid of colour. His blonde hair hung in thin grimy strands over his face, and his silver-blue eyes were dull with pain.

And blood…He was covered with so much blood. It was everywhere, oozing out of numerous deep lacerations and dripping to splatter on the floor.

Her heart twisted at the sight of him. A friend was being hurt, because of her…

…might possibly die, because of her…

Tenkou looked at her with feigned surprise, "Aren't you glad he's taking your place? If I were you, I'd take this as a sign of how devoted a friend he is, and how anxious he is to spare you pain," the humour in his voice did nothing to mask the cruelty behind the words.

That did it. Miaka was overtaken by the feeling of hatred so intense that it flared around her slender body in an aura somewhere between blood-red and black. It pushed her over and beyond the brink of reason. Without even stopping to think, she leapt at the evil deity, her teeth bared with savage ferocity, fingers curled like talons; set to kill him with her bare hands if she had to…

Unfortunately, he had anticipated such an attack from her, and calmly swatted her aside. The force of the blow was enough to send her reeling, and she crashed into a nearby boulder, knocking her head hard against the rock.

She slumped to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

The blonde shogun watched, unable to lift even a finger to do anything. Tenkou turned back to him, "You should have chosen someone less wilful to protect, Nakago. Now you'll have to suffer for her mistakes," the deity said with mock sympathy, lips twisted into a malicious smile.

Nakago jerked involuntarily as a jolt of white-hot energy ripped through his body, causing every single nerve-ending to burn and his muscles to spasm uncontrollably. It felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Despite the terrible abuse he was being subjected to, he remained stubbornly silent, refusing to give Tenkou the satisfaction of hearing him in pain.

Even so, he could not prevent the harsh hiss of agony that somehow managed to escape from between tightly clenched teeth.

His vision was already starting to swim, the images blurring. Blessed darkness was swiftly closing in on him, enveloping him in its thick, velvet embrace. _Won't be long now…_he actually regretted that he was going to die without the Suzaku no Miko completing her mission.

_I'm sorry I couldn't protect you…_

The Suzaku no Miko, Soi, his own mother…it didn't really matter who. He had failed all of them.

Everything went black as his last conscious thought faded away.

* * *

"Nakago-sama…wake up…" a familiar voice whispered, as gentle fingers stroked over his cheek lovingly.

He opened his eyes, and was met with the sight of a woman with long, red hair framing her beautiful heart-shaped face. They were in a garden, surrounded by white cherry blossom trees. The ground itself was thickly carpeted with the fragrant white flower petals.

"Soi?" He hadn't realised how much he had truly missed her. The person in front of him was Soi…yet, not her. Nakago tried to figure out what exactly was different about her, and it took him several seconds to pinpoint it. This was the girl she had been before destiny had made her into Seiryuu shichi seishi… before he himself had stolen away her innocence and turned her into a warrior like him. This woman's name was Haku Kaen, not Soi.

_I must be dead, to be able to see her again like this._

He opened his mouth to ask her something, but she softly placed a finger against his lips, silencing him. She shook her head, her expressive magenta eyes filling with tears as she said gently, "No, Nakago-sama, you are…just visiting…" she trailed off uncertainly, looking to the person next to her for assistance.

_Just visiting?_ Strange…he could have sworn that there had not been anyone beside Soi a moment ago. The woman who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere had long golden blonde hair, done up in a simple braid and blue eyes…just like his.

"'Kaasan…?" he blinked several times, wondering if she was an illusion...a long buried memory from his childhood. He had forgotten how breathtakingly beautiful she had been. It had been far too long…

She smiled, but her face quickly became sober again. Her sky blue eyes searched his own, "Do you care about her?" The question was not something he had expected, coming from his own mother. She had not mentioned any names, but he was certain he knew exactly who she was talking about.

He looked away, not wanting to meet her probing gaze directly, "Does it matter? I failed to honour my promise to Tamahome," he said quietly.

"You judge yourself too harshly. Nevertheless…Do you care about her?" the blonde woman repeated her question, more insistently this time. She was determined to get an answer out of him…Her son, on the other hand, seemed just as determined not to answer. _When did he become so stubborn and pigheaded? _Getting impatient, she glared at him, her eyes narrowing sternly in an expression of maternal disapproval.

"Yes." The admission came out as a resigned sigh as he closed his eyes wearily. He really did not feel like getting into an argument with his mother… Nakago wondered how his answer would make a difference either way. The Suzaku no Miko was on her way to being consigned to a living hell, and he had been unable to do anything to prevent it.

With all his power, he had been able to do nothing.

To his surprise, he could almost feel his mother's warm, brilliant smile. When she spoke again, it was not in the foreign tongue he had become used to speaking and hearing over the years. Her calm, melodic voice wrapped around his senses, framing words in the lilting, musical language of the Hin people…a language he had almost forgotten.

"Then you must go back…There is someone who still needs you."

* * *

His head snapped violently to one side as somebody slapped him. Hard. He slowly opened his eyes, forcing himself to focus on something beyond the intense, mind-numbing pain.

_Then you must go back…There is someone who still needs you._

His mother's words echoed in his mind. She would not say such a thing, would not give him false hope, unless…

He was still bound to the cross, and Tenkou was still standing in front of him, "Did you think I would let you die so easily?" Sharp nails had raked across his face when the silver-haired deity had slapped him, leaving long, deep scratches which were bleeding freely.

Nakago's only response was to spit a mouthful of blood on the ground at the evil deity's feet. He noted with smug satisfaction that the combination of blood and spittle had splattered over the other man's immaculate boots.

Ice blue eyes regarded Tenkou with a cold, defiant stare, before bloodied lips slowly lifted in a maddeningly arrogant smirk, "Did you think I was going to let you win so easily?"

Even as the blonde shogun was speaking, the whispered words of the opening lines of an incantation made themselves heard. Nakago almost smiled. _About time. _The Suzaku no Miko's timing could not have been better. She had probably roused herself by sheer force of will. He could already feel the power of Suzaku's chi swelling, waiting for its miko to call it forth. A fierce red psychic barrier had formed over the Suzaku no Miko, the same one which had once shielded her from him in the tent in Hokkan.

There was a look of panic overtaking Tenkou's features, as he turned his attention away from Nakago and begun launching all the dark energy he possessed against the barrier, hoping to destroy both it and the miko before she could complete the incantation.

She was still lying in a prone position on the ground, but one by one, the amulet and the shinzahos which had spilled out of the bag she had been carrying, started to glow. Even the earring he was wearing had suddenly become warm and his skin tingled at the sensation.

However, halfway through the ritual prayer, even as he watched, the shimmering red chi which had surrounded her began to waver, and Nakago realised that the Suzaku no Miko had reached the limits of her endurance. She had all the will and all the desire to succeed, but her strength was finally giving out…

The protective chi barrier phased out completely under Tenkou's onslaught.

His gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening with grim determination. They were going to win this fight…Once and for all.

No matter what it took.

Summoning every last ounce of chi he had remaining, Nakago added all his power to hers.

* * *

Notes:

1) For a brief moment, I allowed Miaka to deviate slightly from her usual squeaky-clean self. Hatred corrupts people, so the colour of her chi became darker, "somewhere between blood-red and black", and more menacing. I think the effects are more pronounced because Suzaku is the god of love, and hate is the other extreme.


	26. Heart's Lodging

**Chapter 26: Heart's Lodging **

The last thing Nakago recalled was hearing Tenkou's scream of rage and then, he had been overtaken by a bright red light. The light had been warm, comforting…almost like being in an embrace.

The next thing he knew, he was standing on top of a cliff, overlooking a beautiful valley…and it was almost sunset. Of course, he recognised this place instantly. This was where he had revealed his past to the Suzaku no Miko. A feeling of déjà vu washed over him. However, this time, instead of the Suzaku no Miko, a man with fiery red hair stood beside him.

"It really is beautiful, isn't it?" the man remarked conversationally. "I am Suzaku seikun," he supplied, in response to Nakago's unspoken question.

"What happened to Tenkou?" the blonde shogun asked without preamble. He was not one to beat around the bush when it came to demanding information.

"Sealed," Suzaku said succinctly, but with no hint of malice. He appeared to study the shadows that were slowly lengthening across the valley below, "In the end, he was nothing more than a vengeful ghost who had deluded himself into thinking he was a god."

"The Suzaku no Miko?"

"She's all right, for the most part."

"For the most part?" Nakago detected the slight hint of evasiveness in Suzaku's answer, and instantly suspected that the god was not telling him everything. He turned sharply to look at the divine being.

The god sighed, "Both you and her expanded all your energy summoning me. You had to release your mortal bodies to do that," he said gently.

_We're dead?_ He took the news without surprise. No wonder he wasn't feeling any pain. Death was something he had expected for a long time. However, he had always envisioned Hell to be a little less…beautiful. He never thought he would end up back in this place again…after all the wrongs he'd committed. The Suzaku no Miko, however…

"Not exactly," the phoenix god disclosed calmly, reading his mind, "and she gets to return to her own world."

Nakago made a non-committal sound in his throat, his eyes going back to observe the slowly sinking sun for a moment. There was still one question gnawing at him.

He held up the palm of his hand, and produced a small glowing ball of chi. He didn't have to look in a mirror to know that the kokoro symbol had appeared on his forehead. "How is this possible? Seiryuu was sealed."

Suzaku shook his head slightly, "Seiryuu had nothing to do with it."

"I do not understand."

The red-haired god looked almost sorrowful, "It was a pity Seiryuu got to you first." He tilted his head slightly, studying the blonde man for a moment, "You were never meant to be one of Seiryuu's seishi. This power is all your own, and you've always had it inside you. It was not bestowed by my dragon brother…what he did give you was something to believe in, so that you could use the power for his cause."

Nakago nodded slowly, beginning to understand, "When the Suzaku no Miko made her second wish to seal Seiryuu…I thought that once Seiryuu's power was gone, mine would logically disappear as well. Since I did not believe I possessed any power, I thus lost the ability to wield it," he looked thoughtful. Everything was finally falling into place. Still, not all the pieces of the puzzle fitted. "How…why was I able to use it again?"

The immortal being regarded him with golden eyes that were both gentle and ageless…eyes that were filled with infinite wisdom of things past and things to come. "The symbol on your forehead…it reads 'Kokoro', does it not?" Suzaku paused, allowing his statement to sink in before continuing, "And you had to find yours. Your true power was released the moment you unsealed that which you had locked away for so long…Your heart."

Suzaku smiled beatifically, his ethereal red wings curved around Nakago, the soft feathers brushing him in a whisper of silk.

_Thank you, Ayuru…Thank you for protecting my miko, _the enigmatic god whispered in his mind before disappearing in a swirl of scarlet feathers and light.

* * *

Miaka blinked in surprise. A moment ago, she had been on Mt. Taikyoku, with Tamahome and the others, amidst a loud, noisy celebration. Now she found herself standing on a cliff, surrounded by the most beautiful scenery…

…and Nakago was standing with his back to her, watching the sunset. Just like before.

"Nakago?" she whispered, stepping up to him as he turned slightly. He did not appear surprised to see her.

She looked at the delicate play of colours in the sky, everything was so peaceful, so calm…The world was safe, and Tenkou had finally been sealed. This place would retain its beauty, and would play host to countless more sunsets like this one. "We did it…" she said finally, not knowing what else to say to him. The despair at seeing him tortured before they had managed to summon Suzaku was still too raw.

"So we did," he agreed placidly. The fact that they were both technically dead didn't seem to be bothering him in the least.

They watched the sunset in silence for a moment.

"Suzaku no Miko," the abrupt sound of his deep voice shattered the awkward silence between them, startling her and tearing her attention away from the magnificent view.

"You cried for me…for that, Arigatou," Nakago said simply, the corners of his mouth lifting in a small smile…a real smile this time, the first she had ever seen from him.

Miaka felt the tears stinging her eyes, threatening to overflow…tears of sadness and of joy. Joy, because he had finally found the peace which he had so desperately needed, even though he'd not even been aware that he had been searching for it…and she was happy for him. Sadness, because it was almost time for her to return to her own world. She hated goodbyes.

"Ano…you're welcome…" she blinked back the tears, swallowing the lump which had suddenly risen in her throat. "I…I couldn't have done this without you," she blushed, looking down at her feet. "And I never did thank you…for protecting me."

She raised her gaze to meet his, and could not help staring in wonder, "Your eyes…they're that beautiful shade of blue again, like the sky on a summer's day…" she whispered in awe. It was true. What she had seen so briefly at the inn as he had been laughing at her had not been an illusion.

A perfect cerulean blue. And as clear as crystal.

Nakago looked mildly amused and lifted one slender blonde eyebrow at her almost-dreamy description of him.

Suddenly, a soft red glow enveloped her, shimmering incandescently at the edges of her form. They both knew that it was almost time for her to go. As unbelievable as it sounded, he was going to miss the annoying girl…or more precisely, he was going to miss goading her and watching her reactions to his teasing. It had been…his mind searched for an appropriate word; It had been _fun._

"Goodbye, Suzaku no Miko—" he began.

"No!" she interrupted him, hazel eyes glittering fiercely, "No goodbyes! Friends never say goodbye!" He blinked at her announcement, and she grinned widely at his muted display of surprise. "One day…One day, we'll meet again. And this time around… we'll be friends!" Miaka said the words with the utter certainty of a promise.

She could feel her own world calling to her; could feel herself being pulled towards it by an irresistible force.

_One more thing…_

Impulsively, she closed the distance between them, and rising up on her toes, she kissed him on the cheek.

He had not been expecting that.

"See you later!" she whispered, smiling shyly as she stepped back. She was already fading quickly, becoming as immaterial and translucent as a ghost in a dream.

"Until the next time then…Miaka."

Her eyes widened at his use of her given name.

* * *

Nakago smiled faintly.

Her look of extreme surprise just before she had completely disappeared had been priceless.

Funny how the idea of friendship had never appealed to him before. He'd had allies, lovers, enemies, and everything else inbetween…but never friends. A concept so simple, something which could be easily understood by a child…and to think he had lived his life never knowing what it was. He was just beginning to realise how much he'd missed out on in his single-minded quest for revenge.

_So much for superior intellect, _his mental voice interjected with its usual caustic humour.

_Aren't you supposed to be part of my "superior intellect"? _he questioned dryly.

That effectively shut the voice in his mind up. Nakago smirked at the ridiculous argument he was having with himself, resisting the urge to laugh at the fact that he had just told himself off.

He supposed he had been hanging around the Suzaku no Miko for far too long, and her infectious light-heartedness had begun to rub off on him like an insidious disease…or, more accurately, growing on him like some sort of weird, parasitic fungus. The corners of his mouth twitched in mirth at the hilarious thought.

He found himself contemplating the colours that the sunset painted across the landscape. So diverse, yet seamlessly blending into one another. From his vantage point, he could see for miles in every direction...right until the place where the earth met the sky. Or was it the other way round?

It was a pity Seiryuu got to you first. Suzaku had said. What if...

Perhaps if Suzaku had found him first, maybe things would have been different.

Looking back, he couldn't say that he was proud of some of the choices he'd made. Too many times, he'd turned left when he should have turned right…had made countless mistakes and committed so many crimes that he had often wondered if he could ever begin to wash off all the blood that had accumulated on his hands…So many wrongs.

Too many regrets.

In short, he was responsible for royally screwing up his own life. Well, mostly anyway.

Nakago took one last look at the sunset with its magnificent view, before turning and walking away without a so much as a backward glance…

…towards where two women were waiting patiently for him. One blonde, the other with long red hair; both with welcoming smiles on their faces. He realised now, that he had been searching for the wrong things all along, focusing on all the wrong aspects. Home was not so much a physical place, as a state of mind, he reflected philosophically. It didn't matter where it was, as long as you found peace there.

Incredibly, by luck, by chance, or by a trick of fate, he had somehow managed to find his way to the home which had been eluding him for so long…in large part thanks to the help of a certain annoyingly cheerful, russet-haired Miko.

_Friends…_He decided he liked the sound of that.

* * *

Notes:

1) This is what happens when Alcestis tries to write WAFF...a weird fusion of philosophical musings, humour and sap. sweatdrop I wanted Nakago and Miaka to have a tender moment alone together, to say what they needed to say to each other. I'm not really good at writing sappy stuff. Gomen!

2) Whew! It took 26 chapters to get a genuine smile out of Nakago, Fushigi Yuugi's resident Ice Man. Their relationship undergoes a subtle change when he (after long last) addresses Miaka by her name, and not "Suzaku no Miko". He has finally accepted the offer of friendship she holds out to him. Before this point, he has always called her by her title because he does not wish the familiarity.

3) Nope, it's not finished yet! There is one last chapter, where I'll tie up all the loose ends! Stay tuned! :-)


	27. This Time Around

**Chapter 27: This Time Around**

_Don't be afraid to be weak  
__Don't be too proud to be strong  
__Just look into your heart my friend  
__That will be the return to yourself  
__The return to innocence…_

Miaka stared out of the window at the falling snow. It was almost midnight on Christmas Eve. Suddenly, she was overtaken by melancholy, feeling terribly lonely. Tamahome and the others…she missed them all. Especially Tamahome. She would always love him. Always. _Aishiteru…_

_Aren't you forgetting someone? Admit it Miaka, you miss Nakago too, _a voice in her mind said snidely.She smiled sadly, _Who would have thought? _She actually missed having him insult her. _Am I masochistic or what? _

To other people, they may have just been no more than characters in a book, a figment of someone's imagination, but to her, they had been her friends. And they had been real...as real as she was. At least her brother, Tetsuya and Yui understood, although Keisuke still had the tendency to refer to Nakago as "that blonde bastard". Strangely enough, he always said it with a ridiculously wide grin…

"Minna…How I wish you were here…" she sighed wistfully as she made her way back to her bed.

She was about to turn off the lamp on her nightstand when her hand bumped against something. _Yui's gift, _she realised, picking up the small gift-wrapped box. Yui had given it to her a short while ago. She smiled as she caught sight of the card attached to the gift. It said: Do not open until Christmas!

Turning the card over, it read: Don't even think about it! It's not Christmas yet!

Miaka could not help laughing, _Yui-chan always thinks of everything…Oh Yui, what would I do without you?_ She glanced at the clock on the nightstand.

11:57 p.m.

_Close enough! By the time I unwrap it, it'll be Christmas! _she thought gleefully as she began peeling away the brightly coloured wrapping paper.

Inside was a small jewellery box. With trembling hands, she slowly lifted the lid. She held her breath, even though she knew what she would find inside.

On the dark velvet, a single earring gleamed in the moonlight streaming through her window. A small smile touched her lips as she allowed the tears to fall, "Thank you, Yui." She looked out the window, past the falling snow to the darkened sky beyond. Reaching out, she stroked a finger over the cool blue stone.

"Merry Christmas, dear friend…wherever you may be…" she whispered.

* * *

_Don't care what people say  
__Just follow your own way  
__Don't give up and use the chance  
__To return to innocence…_

Half a world away, across the boundaries of international datelines and continents, a young man stood alone, watching the snow slowly drifting down past the window of his apartment. He was the envy of many; young, successful, charismatic, handsome…With his dignified good looks, blonde hair and blue eyes, he could have had his pick of women if he so chose, or none, if he wished, as was presently the case.

He was someone who had always been confident, who had always been so sure of what he wanted, yet… He wondered why he had agreed to this new reassignment. Undoubtedly, it was an excellent career opportunity, but that was not the reason he had accepted it. Neither was he dissatisfied with where he was right now. He liked New York well enough. _Just have to remember not to walk through Central Park after dark, _he thought, smiling mirthlessly.

Yet, he had taken his employers up on their offer to transfer overseas almost immediately because he had felt…_compelled. _It was strange, for a person who always thought everything through carefully… for someone who always planned ahead for the future.

Turning away from the window, he looked around his penthouse apartment. Most of his things were already packed into boxes, ready to be shipped out.

Suddenly, he froze. For one brief moment…something had brushed against him. It had felt almost as if…something—no, _someone_ had brushed a featherlight kiss across his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise as snatches of a conversation he did not remember having filtered into his mind.

Something about a promise…of friendship?…And the summer sky?

He frowned, trying to make sense of the elusive memory, but it flitted away, as volatile as quicksilver, remaining just beyond his grasp. It was as if the memory was taunting him, mocking him with its presence; retreating into the shadows every time he reached out for it. So close, and yet so far…

He could almost swear that the lingering scent of freshly picked strawberries had drifted through his apartment. Why did that seem so strangely familiar?

He shook his head, chiding himself for his foolishness. _Stress, _he decided, and probably anxiety at his new job. In a few days, everything would be all right, and he would settle into his new posting. In Tokyo, Japan.

Regardless, he could not help lifting a hand to his cheek…

It still tingled from the phantom kiss.

* * *

Miaka ran as fast as her legs could carry her…as if she was being chased by demons. Discerning pedestrians deftly made way as a vision of russet hair and green high-school uniform blazer streaked past them.

She was LATE, with a capital L. Again.

_It isn't my fault, _she consoled herself, _that the batteries in my alarm clock decided to die on me in the middle of the night. Something like that could happen to anyone!_

She shot around the corner…

…and collided with someone. Hard.

The force of the impact sent her books, pencils and other assorted stationery flying in opposite directions.

"Oh no!" she groaned in dismay, quickly bending to retrieve a wayward pencil. "I'm going to be late!" she wailed, completely ignoring the fact that she was already a good twenty minutes late for school. The school administration, headed by a particularly humourless individual, was NOT going to be pleased…

"Gomen nasai…Aren't you supposed to yell 'Fore!' or something before you come barrelling around a corner like that?" The words were said in perfect Japanese, but the smooth, deep voice was laced with the faint accent of a foreigner.

Miaka froze. _That voice…_

The last time she had heard it had been in another world, in another time and place…in what seemed like a lifetime ago. She held her breath and slowly looked up for the first time at the person she had crashed into, almost afraid to believe…

And found herself staring into a pair of eyes of a colour so unique that she had only seen it on one person…

A tall blonde-haired man stared back at her with something akin to shock.

His eyes were the exact colour of the sky on a cloudless summer day.

* * *

"Gomen nasai… Aren't you supposed to yell 'Fore!' or something before you come barrelling around a corner like that?" The words had trailed off the moment he had gotten his first good look at that person who had nearly plowed him down when she had suddenly rounded the corner at high speed.

He had the oddest feeling that he somehow knew her from somewhere, although he could not recall ever meeting her before. There was something about this girl…Her voice…

The delicate scent of fresh strawberries wrapped around him.

_One day…we'll meet again. And this time around… we'll be friends!_ The words echoed in his mind, startling in their clarity. A promise of friendship…

"You…" he whispered, as a myriad of images flashed past his mind's eye, almost faster than he could see them. Images of him…and _her. _In another world, in a life before this one.

In his world, they had been enemies, reluctant allies, acquaintances…but those labels didn't really matter anymore. They were in her world now, and the promise she had made to him had finally been fulfilled, against all odds. Perhaps she really did have the power to make wishes come true.

And his life definitely just got more interesting.

Infinitely slowly, as though he was only just remembering how, the corners of his mouth lifted in a smirk…in that all-too-familiar gesture she remembered so well.

Miaka was still in shock. Just when she had least expected it, there he was, standing right in front of her, looking almost exactly like he had in the Shijintenchisho. His hair was shorter now, and a little darker…more honey blonde than golden blonde. And he was slightly tanned, his skin no longer as fair as it had been. However, that was where the differences ended.

The handsome, finely-chiselled features; that intense, enigmatic blue gaze which seemed to be able to look right into her soul…and yes, even that deplorable smirk. None of that had changed.

He took a step closer to her. Before her mind had a chance to fully process what was happening, he had swiftly bent and lightly brushed his lips across her cheek.

She gaped at him in astonishment, opening her mouth, closing it, then opening it again; trying to say something, but no words came out. Instead, all she actually succeeded in doing was to give a very convincing impression of a goldfish out of water.

He chuckled at her predicament. "Just returning the favour," he said softly, amusement glittering in his sky blue eyes. "It's good to see you again."

_If you want, then start to laugh  
If you must, then start to cry  
Be yourself don't hide  
Just believe in destiny…_

**--THE END--**

* * *

Notes:

1) The song featured is "Return to Innocence" by Enigma.

2) A huge thanks to all the people who have been reading this story and lending your support by writing such encouraging reviews. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it (and torturing Nakago and Miaka)!


	28. Commentary

****************************  
**Author's Commentary  
******************************  
  
This story is based on the question of "What if?". In this case, what if Tamahome   
had never killed Nakago. The main characters in this story are really Miaka and   
our all-time favourite villain, Nakago, although Tamahome does play a pivotal   
role in the first few chapters.  
  
As the story progressed, I tried to show how each character evolves. Things have   
a tendency to get interesting when people who have nothing in common are thrown   
together and forced to cooperate. Being in close quarters and forced cohabitation   
starts to have an effect, and despite their best efforts, they start to rub off on each   
other. Miaka grows up as a result of a tragedy, becoming slightly more mature and   
thinks a bit more, while Nakago mellows slightly and starts to feel a bit more.  
  
This by no means implies that Nakago becomes all warm and fuzzy all of a sudden.   
Not a chance. For the most part, he is still a cold, arrogant, egotistical jerk with an   
evil, sadistic streak and a very dry, very twisted sense of humour (actually, it's the   
author who's got an evil, sadistic streak and a very dry, very twisted sense of humour…  
but that's not the point). He derives amusement from baiting and insulting Miaka,   
and seizes every opportunity to be mean to her. Where Tamahome is the undisputed   
hero---selfless , righteous and most of all, loved by the heroine---by the same token,   
Nakago is the anti-hero, definitely not one of the "good guys", but not completely   
evil either. They are polar opposites, reckless and impulsive versus controlled and   
calm. Yet, it is Nakago's cold, unfeeling logic which prevails in Miaka's darkest hour,   
dragging her kicking and screaming from the depths of her despair.   
  
I wanted to show that Nakago is as human as anyone else, and contrary to popular   
belief, he does have feelings buried somewhere under all that armour and ice. As   
a result of his traumatic childhood, he has trained himself to ignore all the softer   
emotions like concern, sympathy, friendship and love. In fact, the only positive   
emotion we ever see him exhibit seems to be wry amusement. I don't think that he   
ever truly hated the Suzaku no Miko or her seishi. They became enemies simply   
because they happened to be on opposite ends of the playing field. If Nakago was   
truly the soulless monster that some portray him to be, he would have killed all the   
Suzaku seishi and/or raped their miko. We all know that he had the power and the   
ability to do so if he had really wanted to. Instead, he seems to test them, time after   
time, to see if they were worthy opponents and thus forcing them to become stronger…  
almost as if he wanted to give them a decent fighting chance.   
  
I have to admit that I'm one of those people who believe that Nakago could have   
(and should have) raped Miaka when he had the opportunity. His failure and   
unwillingness to do so only serves to show that deep down lies a man with strong   
principles and hidden, half-forgotten dreams. He saved Yui and Soi from a terrible   
fate at the hands of rapists, and when it came to the Suzaku no Miko, it was very   
unlikely that he would have turned into one. Nakago has his own interpretation of   
honour, and is willing to do many things to attain his goals. However, forcing   
himself on defenceless girls is not one of them…even if it means passing up the   
chance of certain victory. It is also this same sense of honour which compels him   
to keep his promises, however much he may dislike them.  
  
The problem with Nakago is that his heart is in the wrong place (pun intended).   
He is extremely intelligent. He thinks. He analyses everything. He never does   
anything without a reason. His actions are ruled by his mind and not by his heart,   
hence the position of the 'Kokoro' is on his forehead. That is what makes him such   
an effective warrior and protector…he does not allow his emotions to get in the   
way of what he does. Incidentally, it also makes him immune to Miaka's attempts   
to get him to be "normal" like the rest of the human population, which frustrates   
her to no end.   
  
Nakago has just about as much inclination to protect the Suzaku no Miko as one   
would have of contracting leprosy. Similarly, Miaka would sooner have her toes   
pan-fried in honey and inserted into a beehive than be stuck with Nakago. Unluckily,   
a unique set of circumstances (courtesy of the evil fanfic author) results in making   
the blonde former Seiryuu seishi Miaka's protector by default…much to both their   
dismay. So he goes about his obligation reluctantly, often using highly unorthodox   
methods which are as much designed to irritate and shock the Suzaku no Miko,   
as they are to get the job done.   
  
What happens along the way is akin to a Trial by Fire for both of them. Miaka must   
learn to live without her one true love, and Nakago must learn to feel again…and   
unfortunately for him, the one girl who continually annoys him is the only one who   
can teach him!   
  
From the outer edges of the Universe of the 4 Gods to the inner reaches of the human   
heart… A story of firsts; of learning to trust and of discovering oneself…  
  
…And finding the best kinds of friends, in the most unexpected places.   
  
  
Thanks for reading and god bless,   
Alcestis :-)   
  
Copyright © 2001. All rights reserved.  



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